Across The Stars
by Vulcan Wolf
Summary: Xover with The Phantom Menace and Lord of the Rings. A runaway stumbles through a 'gate on Earth and ends up on Abydos circa Children of the Gods, embarking on a series of bizzare, farflung adventures with SG1 thereafter, meeting some unique neighbors.
1. Foreword

**Here it is, folks. My first-ever SG-1 fic. I basically took the pilot episodes(s) of Season One and crossed them over with Star Wars Episode 1 and Lord of the Rings. A few happenstances in each of the three mentioned movies/episodes have obviously changed, or this wouldn't be a fanfic. I hope this appeals to readers of all caliber, I've rated it purely for safety, there is some strong language but nothing else really in these early chapters to constitute an M rating. My OFC's name is Maleia Lailokan, and anyone else unrecognizable in any fandom does belong to me. Sorry for any OOC that might be going on. This isn't perfect, and it's definitely a "work-in-progress". SG-1, unfortunately, belongs to MGM, Star Wars belongs to George Lucas, and the Fellowship belongs to Tolkien and Peter Jackson. **

* * *

Foreword

"Maleia Lailokan! I did not excuse you!"

"You didn't have to!" the twenty-year-old redhead shouted, slamming her door and locking it. Going to a wooden chest at the foot of her bed, she threw up the lid and tossed aside the objects inside until she found what she wanted: a leather knapsack containing food, water, a polar-fleece sleeping-bag, clothes, and other necessities, and a hunting knife on a thigh-sheath. She slipped the satchel over one shoulder, buckled on the weapon, and went out onto the balcony of her room. There was pounding on her door, followed by shouting.

"Open the door this instant!" her foster-father bellowed, "You're not getting away that easily!"

"Not if you can't find me." Maleia muttered as she jumped the balcony rail and hit the ground running.

* * *

Nick Parker barged into the bedroom to find it empty. No sign of that damnable little hell-raiser. The sliding door leading out to her balcony was open, and when he went out, he was just in time to see her disappear into the trees. Gripping the banister hard enough to have torn it off barehanded, he bellowed, "MALEIA!!" Not that yelling would bring her back. And he wasn't about to waste time setting the dogs on her trail. _That _would get her back, no doubt. Tracker and the others knew their business and loyalties. But there wasn't _time_! She was getting away!

* * *

The echoes of her name followed Maleia Lailokan into the trees, driving her further and faster from the place she had called hell. She hiked until after nightfall, careful not to leave too many tracks for the others to follow, and camped in a cave she had discovered on previous adventures on the Parker estate. Maleia got up at sunrise the next day and set off again, eager to put some more distance between herself and any search parties that might be looking for her.

* * *

For the next two weeks, Maleia avoided three separate search parties. She slept in caves, abandoned dens, and hollow trees. During the day, She walked in the shallows of a stream to cover her tracks more effectively. Sometimes, when she rested, she would see the search parties. Once, a party led by Nick Parker passed right by her without ever knowing. Then, at the end of the third week, Maleia noticed something. She'd been hiking since sunrise, and it was almost dark now, but Maleia noticed a change instantly. For one thing, it had been three days since the last search party. She was down to one clean outfit, having re-worn everything else as much as possible. A dip in a mud puddle last week had just resulted in a quick laundry load, but that was the extent of her garment scrapes. Sitting down on a rock, she pulled off her hiking boots and looked at the soles, "Hmm. Surprised I haven't worn the tread off with all the walking we've done." Shrugging, she put them on again. They really were her sturdiest shoes, and her most waterproof. 

Until three weeks ago, she had only worn them on the occasional romp through the forest but she had worn them enough that three weeks of straight hiking hadn't given her blisters beyond bearing. Deciding that it was a good time to stop for a while, she unloaded her gear Knowing there was little danger of search parties seeing light, she made a small campfire and tried to get some sleep. Wherever she was, it was peaceful enough that she slept more soundly than she had in almost three weeks.


	2. Chapter 1

Maleia was hunting when she caught sight of something. She dropped into a crouch and braced against a fallen log and peeked over the top. In the clearing below stood an upright metallic ring about forty-four feet in diameter. Digging her binoculars out of her backpack, she studied the structure.

Maleia frowned, lowering her binoculars, "That can't be what I think it is. They're not supposed to exist!" She didn't want to believe her eyes, but she knew the reality of what she was looking at. Below her, standing in the clearing, was a Stargate. She knew enough about Stargates to wish they were real, and to find out that they _were _real was beyond her wildest dreaming. There were plenty of conspiracy theories, especially the Star Gate Command Center.

With little permitted leisure time of her own, and even less to do in that time, Maleia had become quite an accomplished computer hacker and had discovered government files documenting the first Stargate expeditions. She had to be looking at one of the secondary gates, unless there were three primary gates in the Continental United States. She studied the gate more closely and studied the symbols on the ring. There were seven chevrons, just like she'd read. Stowing her binoculars, she made her way down to the Stargate. There was a free-standing DHD device in front of the gate itself, and Maleia smiled. She was pretty sure no one could find this place easily, and even then she doubted anyone on the search parties knew how to work the thing. She did, and was contemplating where she could go when she heard dogs barking in the distance. Damn! The dogs had picked up her trail after all! Cursing her sudden bad luck, Maleia punched in the first "address" that came to mind and the minute that wormhole was open, she glanced over her shoulder and dove headfirst into the Stargate. Everything blacked out and she felt like she was flying at incredible speeds in thousands of little pieces.

* * *

Daniel Jackson heard a familiar rumble and hurried to the Stargate chamber, calling Skaara and the others into position. They'd only uncovered the Abydos Stargate a few days ago, and he wasn't sure why he'd uncovered it after burying it following his first expedition after which he had stayed behind on Abydos. Reaching the chamber, he found the wormhole open. 

'Keep your eyes open, boys. Something's coming through.' He cautioned the boys. Two tense minutes passed before a girl came tumbling out of the Stargate, which closed up behind her the minute she was through. The boys were fully prepared to open fire, but Daniel kept them back, 'No, wait! She's alone. The gate closed behind her almost immediately.'

'Is she one of your people?' Skaara asked as the girl lay still on the ramp. Daniel wasn't sure if she was unconscious or just trying to get her bearings before attempting movement.

He shook his head, 'She's not wearing fatigues and her gear's wrong.' Ordering the boys to hold fire, Daniel approached the girl. She didn't respond when he touched her, and he knew she'd been knocked unconscious, probably somewhere before coming out of the Stargate. His first trip through had been incredibly disorienting. He rolled her onto her back and touched her throat, 'She's unconscious. The trip through must have done it to her. Skaara, get me water and some cloth.'

'Is she hurt?'

'I don't know, but I don't think so. I just wish I knew where she'd come from.'He wondered where she'd come from, which planet. 'Dahara, did you see where she came from on the DHD?'

'Yes! These were the symbols that came up before the gate opened.' Dahara knelt and drew a series of symbols in the sand. Symbols Daniel recognized very well. He arched an eyebrow, looking at the girl again, 'Earth. But how did she get into Creek Mountain to access the gate in the first place?' Skaara returned with the things he'd asked for, Sha'uri in tow. It was strange that the Stargate would open and the girl would come out of it, everything had been fairly quiet for the last two years. Wetting a cloth, he bathed the girl's face and neck. She stirred, groaning, and he waved the others back.

* * *

Maleia regained consciousness, wondering when she'd lost it in the first place. Someone was holding her, she felt one arm under her shoulders. Something cool and damp touched her face and she jerked away on reflex. She heard a voice speak in an alien language and forced her eyes open. The room swam in and out of focus and she raised one hand to her eyes, feeling vaguely sick on top of the disorientation. 

"It wears off in a while." The same voice she'd heard before spoke to her now and she turned her head, trying to gain focus in a blurry world.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"I can only tell you what I saw happen. You came through the Stargate from Earth, but I don't understand how you got into Creek Mountain to gain access to the Stargate in the first place. This is Abydos."

"Creek…Mountain? The Stargate's in Cheyenne now. I must…have come through a secondary gate…" she struggled to sit up, wishing the room would stop trying to move.

"I…they moved it to Cheyenne Mountain? Why?"

"I don't know. I couldn't read the entire document." She cradled her head in both hands, "My head is pounding."

"Drink some water, that might help. Did you eat anything before you came through?"

"No, I haven't eaten in six days." She wondered if that was why she was feeling so bad. What little she had eaten wasn't nearly enough to certify as a meal, and her packed rations had gone out early. She only had a few granola bars left and one bottle of water.

"That would explain your instability. We have to get something into you." The man picked her up, "I wouldn't guess you've got dehydration, too?"

"Likely." She felt heavy and tired. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she drifted off into unconsciousness.

* * *

Daniel watched the girl's eyes flutter and close and wondered if she wasn't sick. He set her on his bed and took her hand, pressing his fingers into the skin on her wrist. The normal color didn't return. She was dehydrated. Sha'uri had followed him, "What's wrong with her?"

"She's dehydrated and hasn't eaten in six days. Coming through the gate just about did her in." he looked at his wife and sighed. Sha'uri got up and vanished, returning moments later with a tray. With water and juice. There was some food, too. Daniel roused the girl, regretting having to do it to her, and helped her drink. She didn't want to eat, but Sha'uri made her eat at least a handful of fruit and bread. Once she had done enough to make Sha'uri happy, she murmured her thanks and drifted off to sleep.

Daniel removed her boots and the leg-sheath that held her knife, pulling the blankets up to her chin. As he gathered the tray, Sha'uri laid a bundle by the bed. His wife's smile told him everything. She'd left the girl some clean clothes. Judging by the condition of the girl's clothes, she could probably use them. Having done all he could, he left the curtained room.

"She said the Stargate had been moved to Cheyenne Mountain. Since we haven't had anything in two years I have to believe they've shut it down, maybe for good." He said as they left. Sha'uri touched his arm, "You worry about O'Neill?"

"The last time I saw him, I thought I'd see him again. I haven't, I wonder what became of the team, the program. Everything _I _started."

"When it's time, you'll see him again." Sha'uri promised, and Daniel could only believe her.

* * *

Maleia came around about two hours later, and knew she was alone in the little alcove-room. There was a pile of cloth by the bed, and it unfolded to reveal clothes. _Clean _clothes! Wondering who had left them for her, she stripped out of her own clothes, tossed them into a pile in the corner, and got dressed in the things provided. The ground beneath her feet was cool, so she went barefoot. She found her knife and tucked the sheath onto her belt, though she sincerely doubted she would need it in this place, wherever here happened to be. The man had said this place was Abydos, but that didn't explain _where _on Abydos, or even who he was. She had to guess she'd come through the Abydos Stargate, which was reputedly tucked away in an exact replica of the Great Pyramid of Giza. She found her way back to the chamber she'd been dumped out in, and found it occupied by several boys her age, all of them natives.

They wore the most bizarre assortment of clothes and military gear she'd ever seen. Some wore helmets, others fatigue shirts, and others wore ammo vests. Some wore all three, and they all carried military-issue guns. She saw pistols and rifles of assorted types, and wondered where these people had gotten such weapons. Then she realized where she had really ended up. Maleia's legs gave out beneath her and she hit the ground, completely in shock. Not only were the Stargates real, but the first mission from Creek Mountain to Abydos had really happened! That's why these kids were dressed the way they did and why they carried such weapons.

"You look confused." She heard _his _voice and looked up. He held out one hand to her, "You okay?"

"I think so." She let him help her up and got a good look at his face. She gasped, "Dr. Jackson! You're…."

"Alive."

"Not according to Colonel O'Neill's mission reports, you're not."

"And how would you know anything about that?"

"Hacking, not something I'm proud of." She ducked her head, kind of glad she'd found those documents only two days before she'd run away. She looked at him again and realized something else. She'd heard him give a lecture on Egyptian culture in her Ancient World History class while she'd gone to college at the local university. Nick had begrudgingly paid her tuition for two semesters, only because he had the social workers breathing fire down his neck. He had the money to send her to college, and by god he would, and pay for all of her tuition besides. She sat down on a convenient stone ledge, "You know what, I've met you before."

"You have? When?"

"Two years ago, about a month before you lost your grants and ended up working for Katherine Langford."

"What was I doing?"

"Giving a lecture in an Ancient World History class, most of us either didn't care or slept through it."

"Creekstone College, I remember. Were you the one…"

"I'm the one who believed you and I'm also the one who chased you down after the lecture just to talk."

"Maleia…Lailokan?" he looked at her curiously, and she could see that he was remembering.

She smiled, "Yep."

"How the hell did you get through that Stargate?"

"Must have been a secondary gate. I actually ran away from home about three weeks ago to the day, and kind of stumbled across it."

"What possessed you to go through a potentially unstable Stargate? Are you out of your mind?"

"Ever been chased by snarling search-dogs, sir?"

"No."

"Ever been in a situation where you were sure if they got you, that was it?"

"Yes."

"That's what I was running from. I'd avoided the searchers for a few days, then when I found the Stargate, the dogs found me. I punched in the first address I could think of without bothering to see where I was going." She kicked at the sand under her feet, "This is where I ended up."

"Well, whoever was after you, I doubt they'd be able to find you here." Daniel looked around and she knew he was right. After all, Abydos was clear on the other side of the known universe.

* * *

Two days later, Maleia had been introduced to Daniel's guards and given a place on their details, taking her turn on watch. She was on watch with Skaara when a low rumble caused the ground to tremble. A grating followed the rumbling and Maleia knew somehow that the Stargate was opening. She and Skaara crouched out of sight with three others and waited. While the gate was active, they couldn't see who was coming until it deactivated.

A team of six soldiers in desert fatigues sat on the ramp, recollecting themselves after 'gating. They'd come from Earth, but which 'gate had they come through and why? Dahara pinpointed their leader and the others emerged, fully prepared to open fire on these strange visitors. Maleia and Skaara stood ready, Maleia on one knee sighting the strangers along the barrel of her rifle. Suddenly, Daniel appeared, putting himself between their foursome and the Earth soldiers.

"Chahare! Chahare!" he cried, raising both arms, "Lower your guns." Both sides lowered their weapons. Maleia glanced at Skaara as she shouldered her rifle, and wondered who these people were. Daniel apparently knew them, he greeted their leader by name.

"Hello, Jack. Uh, welcome back." Daniel seemed to be confused by the other man's presence in the gate room, but Maleia couldn't figure out why. Who _were _these people and what were they doing on Abydos? Jack caught sight of Skaara and Maleia and something flickered across his eyes. Recognition? But which one of them? Maleia didn't move a muscle as he strode past Daniel, and approached them. As he paused, she got to her feet. Skaara saluted him, fighting off a smile, a gesture Jack returned.

"Skaara." Jack looked Skaara over from head to foot a split second before he embraced the boy.

"Munier!" Skaara cried, returning the embrace with a great deal of enthusiasm, "Munier, I had not thought to be seeing you again!" Jack turned back to Daniel, who watched with curiosity.

"Daniel, how're you doing?"

"Uh, good. You?"

"Much better, now that I see everybody's okay." Jack looked at Skaara and smiled. Two other members of Jack's team greeted Daniel in a familiar manner and Maleia wondered just _how _he knew them. Sha'uri emerged from a curtained sector of the pyramid and was greeted by Jack.

"So, I figured it was only a matter of time before you had to tell the truth about us still being here." Daniel mused after all salutations had been made.

"Yeah. Why the militia?" Jack asked, looking around at Maleia and the others, "Something else come through?"

"No, we're just taking precautions. Why?" Daniel found that question as strange as Maleia did. Jack was about to say something, but he was cut off.

"Amazing! This is what was missing from the dig at Giza!" the woman with Jack cried excitedly. Maleia turned and saw what she'd found. The 'gate's control device.

"This is how they controlled it!" the woman continued, "It took us fifteen years and three supercomputers to MacGyver a system for the gate on Earth."

"Captain." Jack tilted his head slightly to one side. She wasn't paying attention.

"Look how small it is!"

"Captain!" Jack raised his voice slightly to get her attention. She turned, startled. He tilted his head to Daniel, who had one arm around Sha'uri.

"Oh, right. Excuse me." She turned away from the control device to Daniel, "Dr. Jackson, I presume?" She smiled, "I'm Dr. Samantha Carter."

"I thought you wanted to be called 'Captain'." Jack retorted. Daniel looked from Dr. Carter to Jack.

"What's going on, Jack?"

"Six hostile aliens came through the Stargate on Earth. Four people are dead, one's missing."

"One of them looked like Ra, Daniel." One of the others piped in.

"Well, they didn't come from here." Daniel mused uneasily, looking at Sha'uri, "I mean, Maleia and the boys take shifts guarding it thirty-six hours a day every day. We'd know if they came through here."

"Well, they came from somewhere, Daniel. I'm gonna have to look around." Jack was all business now.

"Right, I think I can help you figure out who it was, but, uh, it's going to have to wait until this sandstorm is over." Daniel was thinking, Maleia could tell by the way his eyes kept shifting. He looked straight at Jack, "Uh, we were about to have our evening meal. Why don't you join us?" Jack was agreeable, so they shared their dinner with the six members of Jack's team.

* * *

Jack O'Neill had been relieved to reunite not only with Daniel Jackson, but with Skaara as well. What intrigued him was the girl who shadowed Skaara. When she sat down near him for the meal, he got a good long look at her. At first glance she had passed for one of the kids, but now he saw a few differences. For one, her skin was at least four shades lighter than anyone else except Daniel, and her eyes were green, not brown. On top of that, her hair was red. She was _not _Abydoan, he knew that much. She took a small trencher from Skaara and got up, coming to him. She offered him the trencher with a shy smile and he hesitated, looking at Skaara, "What is it?"

"Try it." She urged, holding it out to him. He took it and gave a cautionary sniff. The stench of fermented grain just about knocked him on his back.

He recoiled, peering at the substance, then at the kids, "Moonshine?" Skaara frowned, but the girl smiled.

"Moonshine?" Skaara wasn't familiar with the term.

"Yeah, moonshine. You know, like, booze?" he prompted, then paused, "Daniel, what are you teaching these kids?" Daniel gave a slight shrug.

The girl touched the trencher, "Try it!"

He shrugged, "Alright. I'll try Skaara's moonshine." He had barely tipped it to his lips when he coughed, "Oh, god!" The others burst out laughing. What little he'd swallowed burned all the way down. He passed the trencher to Samantha, "Smooth, very smooth."

"Moonshine!" Skaara chimed. The girl passed him another trencher, and he held up one hand.

"Oh, no. No more."

"It's water." She pressed it into his hands, "Drink." Still not entirely trusting of the kids, he drank. It _was _water, and he drank deeply to soothe the burn of Skaara's homemade booze.

"Our little soldiers are all grown up, Colonel." Charlie Kawalski said, accepting a trencher from one of the kids.

"I'm so proud." He gasped, draining the trencher of water. Skaara tried to return his lighter, but Jack wouldn't take it back.

"I gave that to you to keep, Skaara. Keep it.'

"Thank you, Munier." Skaara pocketed the lighter and disappeared.

"He keeps calling you Munier." The girl spoke up, startling him.

"Huh?"

"He calls you Munier. What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know their language as well as Daniel does." He looked at her, "What's your name, kid? If you don't mind my asking."

"You're not looking for me, are you?"

"Uh, no. I came looking for answers from Daniel. Why?" he frowned, "Do you have people looking for you?"

"Daniel told me I was safe here. That no one could find me here."

"Daniel?"

"Maleia's a runaway, Jack. She came through the Stargate three days ago, she came from Earth."

"You said nothing else had come through."

"Not anything you were looking for, Jack. All I know is Maleia didn't get here through your Stargate. And I'm fairly certain she doesn't want to go back to Earth."

"Jesus, kid. What are you running from?" Kawalski chimed in, having listened in on the conversation.

"My foster-father."

"A little old for the system?"

"I couldn't stay there, sir. He would have killed me!" Maleia looked at him as if afraid of something he might do to her, "It was him I was running from when I jumped through a secondary Stargate and ended up here on Abydos with Daniel."

"What's your name?"

"Maleia Lailokan, sir."

"Christ, you're Nick Parker's kid!" Louis Ferretti cried. Jack looked at the girl sharply. Word had gotten to Stargate Command about a missing child, but there wasn't much they could do about it.

Maleia looked at him, "Please, don't make me go back. Mr. Parker would kill me for running away!"

"Well, knowing what little I do about Nick Parker, I sure as hell wouldn't hand you over to him if I _did _take you back." Jack bristled at the thought of what Nick Parker might do to Maleia if he ever got his hands on her. He put one hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, kiddo, I won't be the one to haul you back to Earth if you don't want to go. And since we're not actually part of the search, there's no reason for me to take you."

"She's safe here, Jack, from her foster-father."

"That's why she's going to stay here." Jack smiled. Maleia buried her face in her arms and he sighed. Skaara returned to tell Daniel that the storm was over, and Daniel offered to show them something he had found. Skaara and Maleia stayed behind with Sha'uri.

* * *

Daniel and Jack hadn't been gone very long when the Stargate opened. Maleia and Skaara took up places and waited for whatever came through. Serpent-headed aliens came through, opening fire with staff-weapons as soon as they were out. A firefight ensued, and Maleia watched her friends go down, never to rise. Skaara shouted at Sha'uri to run, but she didn't very far before one of the attackers scooped her off her feet. Skaara was cornered next, and Maleia ran at the turned back of the alien closest to her. Arms locked around her waist and she was lifted off her feet. Her rifle dropped to the ground and she kicked and fought, "Put me down! Let go! Skaara!" She watched in horror as Skaara was stunned into unconsciousness by a strange device wielded by the leader of the attackers. She landed a solid blow to her captor's groin and dropped to the ground as he let her go with a howl. She scrambled for her rifle, and brought it around to fire. Before she could open fire, one of the guards struck her with the rounded end of the staff-weapon and stars burst in her vision before everything went black in a bone-jarring jolt of electricity. That was the last thing she remembered before she was scooped up and carried through the Stargate.

* * *

Daniel knew the camp had been attacked even before he set foot in the pyramid. The wails of the women reached them before the stench of blood and burned flesh did. The gate room was littered with bodies, and the women wept over the bodies of their fallen loved ones. What concerned him the most was Sha'uri's absence. Dahara told him how they had been attacked by alien soldiers, Nikara thought it was Ra. Dahara also told him that when they'd taken Sha'uri, Skaara and Maleia had been taken, too. It was hard for Jack to convince him that the only way they could effectively go about rescuing Sha'uri and the kids was for him to go back to Stargate Command.

Making Dahara promise to cover the Stargate once they were through, to bury it, Daniel promised to try and return in a year's time. And if not with his wife, then with Maleia and Skaara. With a tearful parting of ways, Daniel returned to a world he hadn't seen in two years, swearing to himself he would find Sha'uri and the kids if it killed him to get them out of wherever they'd been taken.


	3. Chapter 2

Maleia didn't know why she had been captured from the pyramid. She had come to with an incredibly violent return of sensation and it took three people to hold her down until the initial seizures were past. They were on a planet with no known name, but the city was Chulak. They were prisoners of a creature named Apophis.

She couldn't be taken away from Skaara, not like Sha'uri had been taken. When she and Skaara tried to stop them from taking Sha'uri, Maleia knew why _she_ hadn't been taken before. Dressed in men's desert garb with all but her eyes concealed by a scarf, she looked like a boy. The guard looked at all of them before he settled on Sha'uri, who was separated from the others by two of the guards. Skaara tried to stop them, but ended up on the floor with two staff-weapons on him. Maleia fell to her knees beside him, glaring up at the guard.

He looked at them both, and Maleia had the feeling he saw past her disguise, "Your deaths will not help her."

"If you don't need her, please bring her back." Maleia whispered, not knowing if he heard her or even cared. His expression never changed. Sha'uri was escorted forcibly from the prison, and Skaara broke free, trying to run after them. He ran to the gates as they closed, screaming for Sha'uri. Maleia went after him and pulled him away from the gate.

"She's gone, Skaara. We can't do anything to help her now." She murmured as he sank to the floor in unwilling defeat. Maleia sat beside him and studied the ground, "Besides, we still have each other. Please tell me that means something."

"I'm sorry, Maleia. I'm sorry." Skaara whispered, putting his arms around her. They stayed like that until the guards came back with three prisoners. One was carried by two guards, the others could walk. As the prisoners were shoved and dumped into the prison, the one guard looked at Maleia, who scrambled to her feet. He pressed something into her hand as he prepared to leave, it looked like he was pushing her out of his way as he left the prison.

He squeezed her wrist, "Do not be afraid." With those words, he was gone. Maleia looked down to see what he'd left her and gasped. Clutched in her left hand was a dagger that was as long as her forearm from elbow to wrist measured from tang to tip. It was an ornate thing, but fully functional. She tucked it into her waistband and hurried to Jack and Samantha, who hovered over an unconscious Daniel. She hugged him, and felt his arms tighten around her.

"Are you two alright?" he looked at her and at Skaara.

"They took Sha'uri. She's…gone."

"We haven't seen her. For Daniel's sake, I hope she's okay." Jack shook his head. They got help moving Daniel away from the doors. Maleia looked at Skaara, but he only shook his head. There really wasn't much they could do now except wait. For Daniel to wake up, for a chance to escape, for their doom.

* * *

Teal'c didn't know what it was about that girl, but she made him do things no Jaffa was supposed to do. First he had given her his own knife, told her not to be afraid, and now…now he was going to make sure the other girl didn't become a Host. He entered the room where the girls selected as potential Hosts for Rak'hma's Goa'uld were kept together. He spotted Sha'uri right away, and went to her. She was the only one awake, the others slept in clusters.

"Sha'uri." He spoke her name quietly. She turned sharply to him and he held out one hand, "Come."

"Why?"

"Come with me or become a Host." He said. She scrambled to her feet and took his hand. They all knew what happened to the girl picked as the Host. Her screams had echoed in their ears, and now Tashri was Apophis' new queen. Teal'c led Sha'uri through the quiet hallways, keeping out of sight when he passed other armored Jaffa guards. When they reached the prison, he opened the doors and led her into the chamber. The other girl came to them, and he saw the glint of his knife in her belt. He nodded and looked at the rest of their small group, one of whom had yet to regain consciousness, "Do not draw attention to yourselves."

"Why are you helping us?" the boy asked. Shaking his head once, Teal'c left the prison. The punishment for aiding prisoners was death, but there was no one who would know what he'd done until too late.

* * *

Daniel Jackson remembered being knocked down by a blast from a hand-device worn by Apophis, but not much beyond that. He was surprised to come around and find himself surrounded by familiar faces in an unfamiliar place. Maleia and Skaara were both there, and Jack and Samantha. He sensed someone else nearby and turned his head enough to see Sha'uri. Daniel surged into a sitting position and threw both arms around his wife. Maleia and Skaara hugged him, and he knew they were just as relieved to see him as he was to see that they were alright. The doors grated open and he looked up sharply. Six Serpent Guards entered, followed by four servants clad in loincloths bearing a curtained litter. Behind the litter came a number of well-dressed men and women. They looked like nobility. Apophis and his queen Tashri emerged. Apophis gave an order in whatever passed as the native language on Chulak and the litter-bearers rushed into the crowd.

"What did he say?" Daniel looked at Maleia and Skaara.

"He said they're going to choose."

"Choose what?"

"Who will become the Children of the Gods." Maleia grew pale, her voice weak. The litter-bearers pushed everyone into a kneeling position, and the nobles went among the terrified prisoners. Daniel had a pretty good idea what would happen to those who were unfortunate enough to be chosen.

As the nobles began the process of choosing those from among the prisoners to become the Children of the Gods, Maleia had the terrible feeling one or more of them would be chosen deliberately. But all of the nobles passed her group over each time, choosing others for the role of Host. She heaved a sigh of relief that she had not been chosen, but relief was short-lived.

Apophis looked at the remaining prisoners, "Kill the rest." The people fled for any shelter they could find. Maleia, Skaara, Daniel, Samantha, and Jack formed a human shield for the helpless prisoners. The guard who had helped her joined the others.

"I can save these people!" Jack shouted, "Help me!" The guard wheeled, activating his staff-weapon. Jack didn't waver, "Help me."

"Many have said that." The guard growled, and Maleia took one step closer to Jack. Suddenly, he wheeled and fired on one of the guards. He tossed Jack his staff, "But you are the first I believe can do it!" Mayhem broke out as the Serpent Guards opened fire, and Jack and the guard returned fire. Maleia looked at Skaara, and at the fallen Serpent Guards. She ducked and grabbed the nearest staff in a dive. Rolling to her knees, she activated the weapon and opened fire. With four of them, the guards were quickly finished off. Jack blasted a hole in the far wall that gave them an escape route. With Samantha giving the orders, they got the survivors out of the prison and away from the fortress. They decided that the best option was to head for the Stargate and try to get home.

* * *

Getting to the Stargate was easier said than done when a death-glider caught up with them in an open span of ground. Maleia hit the ground, knocked off her feet by the first blast. She covered her head as debris flew around her.

"Maleia!" Skaara screamed over the noise. She raised her head and grabbed the staff, activating it. Getting to one knee, she took aim and opened fire. Even four hits didn't do much to disable the glider. Something else entirely _did _do the job, in a brilliant explosion. Maleia looked at Jack, who was just as confused. She twisted around and caught sight of the three figures on the slope just behind them. She laughed and shoved to her feet, using the staff for a brace.

"It's Kawalski!"

"Alright, people! Let's move!" Jack shouted. The people scrambled up the hill. Maleia and Skaara reached the top first and looked down on the Stargate. The last group was going through, but Maleia and Skaara were already halfway down the hill by the time the others had caught up with them. The 'gate died almost instantly. She skidded to a halt in front of the control device.

"Daniel! Get to work on the Stargate, we've got company!" Kawalski barked, startling Maleia. Samantha and Daniel joined them at the control device. Maleia watched Daniel flip through a little notebook of codes and addresses, trying to find the one that would get them back to Earth. Suddenly, it hit her and she pressed a certain combination of symbols. The last two symbols were the symbols for Earth and for Cheyenne Mountain. As she hit the red sphere to open the gate, she looked at Samantha.

"Get ready to transmit that code, Captain!"

"If this doesn't work, I'll be the first to know!"

"Tell them we've got company, Captain!" Jack shouted as Samantha jumped through the Stargate. Daniel sent two refugees through behind her. He grabbed her and Skaara next, and shoved them through the gate without a word. Having been through a Stargate twice before, Maleia hoped this trip wouldn't give her the same problems the other two had. She was spit out onto a metal ramp, her fall cushioned only by Skaara, who pulled her to her feet so there was room the others.

They seemed to wait forever until the last members of Jack's team were through the gate. Once they were through, the gate was sealed behind them. Jack and the others had been followed, Maleia heard three distinct impacts against the seal. When the wormhole closed, they opened the seal. Behind the gate, all was clear. Jack's commanding officer demanded an explanation for the arrival of twenty refugees as well as the Stargate team, and was given an appropriate answer. A debriefing was arranged and they were all dismissed. Maleia and Skaara stuck close Jack. They were told to wait until the briefing was finished, which could last anywhere from an hour to two hours.

"But what can we do until then?" Maleia asked as he went into the briefing.

"Sha'uri could use company, why don't you go find her?" Daniel offered. Maleia looked at Skaara. Outside the members of Jack's team, Skaara and Sha'uri were two of the only people Maleia really knew in SGC. As Jack and Daniel went to the debriefing, Maleia and Skaara sought out Sha'uri.

* * *

Two hours later, Jack came looking for them, Daniel in tow. The debriefing was over, and Jack was ready to go home for a while before the next mission cropped up. Daniel decided to stay behind to make sure the refugees got home safely through the Stargate. Maleia and Skaara followed Jack out of the bunker and he drove them to his house, where he told them to make themselves at home and they were free to raid the fridge and the pantry if they got hungry. He went back to the car and got some stuff out of the trunk while Maleia dug around in the fridge and pantry looking for anything worth eating. She had almost forgotten what Earth food tasted like, but she found some chips and bean-dip. It was the closest thing to any of the food she'd eaten on Abydos, so it was probably the safest thing for them to eat. She put the chips in one bowl and the dip in another and took them out to the living room where Skaara sat on the couch, looking very lost. 

"This is the closest thing to the food on Abydos I could find around here, it's probably the safest thing to eat. Help yourself. You want anything to drink?"

"Does Munier have any…moonshine?" Skaara asked around a chip.

Maleia looked back into the kitchen, "I'll check." Getting up, she trotted back to the fridge and pulled it open. Sure enough, Jack had a selection of beer on the shelves. She picked two bottles and kicked the door closed. Going back to the living room, she passed one bottle to Skaara and twisted the cap off of hers.

"I found some, but I don't think it's anywhere near as good as yours was." She raised her bottle in salute, "Cheers, Skaara. Here's to survival."

"Survival." Skaara raised his bottle and they clicked glass before drinking. She swallowed the first swig and grimaced.

"Nope, not as good as yours. It'll have to do." She dug a chip into the bean-dip and looked around. Jack apparently lived alone, the few signs of shabby housekeeping bespoke bachelorhood.

* * *

Jack returned from getting the two bags he'd packed for Skaara and Maleia at SGC to find them right where he'd left them, but not the way he'd left them. They'd found some food, a half-empty bag of chips sat next to a half-empty bowl of bean dip and two bottles of beer. At the moment, Maleia's head rested in Skaara's lap and her eyes were closed. Skaara picked up one of the bottles and studied it for a moment before he took a sip. Jack smiled and shook his head, taking the bags upstairs to the guest room. Inside were some fatigues the kids could wear until he could get them out to buy civilian clothes, which he planned to do as soon as possible. It looked like shopping for food might not be such a bad idea, either. Going back downstairs, he found the kids the way he'd just left them.

He leaned against the wall, "Skaara, Maleia, get changed. I brought back fatigues from SGC you guys can wear until I get civilian clothes."

"Thanks for letting us stay, sir." Maleia sat up and offered a brief shy smile. Jack knew why. She and Skaara were strangers here, and Maleia was afraid of being found by her foster-father. Once the kids were dressed in fatigues, he took them to Target for dual-purpose shopping.

* * *

Maleia browsed the racks of clothes, Skaara right behind her, looking for something she could wear outside of SGC. They raised some eyebrows in their fatigues, but it was all Jack had for them right now. She finally settled on a pair of distressed blue-jeans, a black blouse of semi-sheer cloth, and a pair of white Converse slip-ons. She picked up another outfit, too, before helping Skaara find something else to wear so he wouldn't stick out so much. They found what they wanted and went off to find Jack, who was shopping for food. Maleia hadn't gone very far before someone recognized her and called her name.

"Maleia!" she whipped around and looked for the person who called her name. It was Ginger Patrick, a friend of hers from college. She clapped one hand over Ginger's mouth and yanked her into an empty aisle, Skaara was right behind her. They went to the other end of the aisle and around to the end itself, hidden from view at least for a while.

"Shut up, Gin! The wrong people hear my name and I'm in more trouble than I started out with!"

"Why'd you run away, Maleia?"

"_Why_ did I run away? Ginger, you know what he's like! There was no way I would still be alive if I hadn't run away!" she wanted to shake her friend and get some sense into her. Ginger didn't believe that Nick mistreated Maleia.

"Yeah, he told us that your tracks just disappeared, and there was nothing to tell where you'd gone. It was like you'd been abducted by aliens or something." Ginger sounded very put out, and Maleia sighed.

"Listen, Ginger. I don't have the time to explain everything to you, and even if I did, you wouldn't believe me."

"Why not?"

"Because you just…you wouldn't understand half of what I've been through since I…" she bit her tongue.

"Since you what?"

"Disappeared."

"You weren't going to say that. Maleia, you can trust me! I won't tell anyone!"

"Maleia! Skaara, let's go!" Jack called, hauling a cart full of food. Maleia grabbed Skaara by the hand and left Ginger.

"No, Ginger, I can't trust you. You can't keep your mouth shut. I've already been this close to dying once, I don't need to face my foster-father and actually die." Leaving a baffled Ginger behind, they paid for their stuff and left Target.

"Who was that?" Jack asked as they loaded the car up.

"Somebody who actually recognized me. Let's just get out of here." She tossed her bag into the trunk and slammed it once everything was in. Suddenly, a familiar beat-up red pickup truck came tearing into the parking lot. It parked at the far end two aisles over, but Maleia recognized it right away. She watched, heart pounding, as Nick got out of the car, slammed the door, and stormed towards Target. When he was close enough that if he turned his head he would see them, she dove into the passenger's seat, "Jack, go!"

"That's him?"

"Go, before he recognizes me!" she looked quickly over her shoulder. Jack pulled out and was about halfway down the aisle when Nick seemed to realize what was going on. He wheeled around and tore back towards his car. Maleia retrieved her cell-phone and inserted the battery. Jack pulled crooked into the nearest empty spaces, threw the car into park, and pulled open the glove-compartment. Two pistols were tucked inside.

She twisted around, "Skaara, get down and stay down. Whatever happens, keep your head down."

"What's wrong?"

"My foster-father just found me."

"He's not getting you without a fight. You've got 911 on auto-dial?" Jack loaded both pistols and checked them as the red pickup whipped towards them and skidded up next to them.

"Yes, sir."

"Get ready to dial it." He passed her one of the pistols, "I'm assuming you know how to fire one of these?"

"Yeah."

"Good." He nodded tensely. She got out of the car, tucking the pistol into her belt. Jack had parked in such a way that his car stood between Maleia and her foster-father. She stayed towards the front of the car, where he could easily see her, but where she could duck if she had to.

"Maleia! You're alive! Thank god! The dogs found your tracks, but they just ended! You're alright?"

"I'm just fine, Nick." She reached for her pistol.

"Come home with me, Maleia. Please, you don't know how worried I've been."

"Worried? Bullshit you've been worried! The last thing I heard from you before I was so far away you were lucky the dogs could even pick up my trail was you screaming my name at the top of your lungs." she looked at Jack, who eyed Nick suspiciously. Nick froze in his tracks and grew very pale. She narrowed her eyes, "I've been through Hell and back, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life _in _Hell. I've watched friends die, and almost got myself killed."

"Where did you go? Your tracks literally stopped in the middle of nowhere. It was like you'd been picked up by aliens."

"That's close enough to what happened to your charge, Nick. Maleia went clear to the other side of the known universe through something called a Stargate." Jack growled, "If that means anything to you."

"Stargate? Like the government programs?"

"Oh, you _do _know what it is!"

"Maleia found a whole load of stuff just before she bolted. I got panicked, thinking of all the trouble she'd get into if anybody found out she'd hacked into sealed and encrypted government files."

"Your reputation doesn't match your story, Nick. I'm surprised they let you keep Maleia, let alone take her on as a foster child." Jack didn't believe Nick. Maleia folded her arms across her chest.

"You were my last home, Nick, I couldn't go anywhere else. But the only thing you ever did was yell at me if something went wrong." She looked at the ground between her feet, "The social workers forced you to send me to college, you weren't about to spend a nickel on my education. Why should I go anywhere with you? I belong to SGC and SG-1 now."

"At least come and pick up your stuff. You left a lot behind."

"You _kept _my stuff?"

"I kept thinking you'd come back."

"We'll get Maleia's stuff and get her cleared of your custody. She's practically part of the family back in Cheyenne." Jack made the decision for her. Maleia sighed and got back into the car. Nick led the way to his house and she made quick work of packing every valuable thing and piece of clothing she owned. Tossing her stuff into the back seat and the trunk, she was about to get back into the car when there was a flurry of barking from the back yard.

Maleia froze and whipped around, "Capsian?"

"Maleia, come on!" Jack called. Maleia ran around the side of the house to the gated fence.

"Wait! I forgot something!" she opened the gate and a two-year-old German Shepherd tore through the opening. She slammed the gate on the other dogs and grabbed Caspian by the collar, "Hey! Hey, behave yourself, Caspian!" He calmed down and sat by her feet. She looked at him sternly, "Yeah, did I forget about you?" Smiling, she went back around to the front of the house. Jack took one look at Caspian and both eyebrows went up.

He looked at her, "What's this?"

"This is Caspian."

"He's Maleia's dog, Jack. If she left him behind, he'd go absolutely nuts. As long as he's in the same house, he's happy. Since Maleia's not living here anymore, he'd be miserable."

"Oh, great. You didn't forget anything else?" Jack looked at her as she opened the rear door on the passenger's side and let Caspian up on the seat. Nick went into the house, emerging with a matching collar and leash set. Maleia removed the radio-collar and gave it to Nick. Then it was back to Jack's house to unpack and get settled. Maleia heard the phone ringing as she put her stuff down in the guest room and sprinted back downstairs.

"I got it!" Skidded into the kitchen, she grabbed the phone off the hook as it rang a fourth time, "O'Neill residence, this is Maleia speaking."

"Maleia, it's Daniel."

"Daniel! How are things at SGC?"

"We got the refugees back to Chulak. Is Jack around?"

"Yeah, just a minute." She covered the receiver, "Colonel, it's Daniel!"

"What's he want?"

"I don't know. Want me to ask?"

"Please. Do we have to go back?"

"I'll ask." She lifted the receiver to her ear, "Daniel, what's going on?"

"Hammond doesn't know what to do with Teal'c and something's wrong with Charlie."

"Does Hammond want us back at SGC?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll tell him. Thanks, Daniel."

"Sorry for dragging you back in, kid. I know you just got out of this place."

"No problem." She hung up the phone and went out to the living room.

Jack looked at her, "What's the news?"

"Well, they're not sure what to do with Teal'c, which isn't a good thing, and something's wrong with Major Kawalski."

"Charlie? Did Daniel say what?"

"No, but Hammond wants us…or at least you, back at SGC ASAP."

"Jesus. I hate dragging you kids back there when you just left."

"Maybe we could stay here, then?"

"There's enough chaos reigning without you two causing more trouble. Will you two be alright here for a few hours?"

"Yeah. I'll take Caspian for a walk. Do you have any parks around here?"

"Yeah. There's one three blocks away. It's a good place to take dogs. Here's a house-key to get back in and keep your cell-phone with you."

"Yes, sir. Good luck, sir." Maleia and Skaara saluted Jack and watched him leave from the driveway, Caspian sitting between them. Once his car was gone, Maleia tugged on the leash and headed for the park. Skaara tagged along, looking around curiously. She smiled, "Different, eh?"

"Yes, very different. Your foster-father, will he come back for you?"

"No, Skaara. I'm no longer Nick Parker's ward. That confrontation ended much better than I had expected." She unclipped the leash and let Caspian do some exploring on his own, calling him to heel if he got too far ahead or wandered into the street.

* * *

When they reached the park, she found a good stick and threw it for him to fetch. It was a beautiful afternoon, and several families had come to the park to enjoy the weather. She found a good place to sit under one of the massive trees, and wondered at how quickly her life had changed, and in how many different ways. Just hours before, she had almost never seen Earth again. Now, freedom had an entirely different meaning. Skaara sat with her, vaguely uncomfortable. She had dozed off when she heard Caspian barking. It was a tone she'd only heard once or twice before and opened her eyes instantly, looking around. That was Caspian's danger bark. She spotted him over by a tree, front paws up on the trunk, barking at something in the tree itself. People ran towards him from another part of the park, shouting.

Maleia cursed between her teeth and got to her feet, running towards her dog, wondering what he'd found. Reaching the base of the tree, she looked up and gasped, "Oh my lord! Are you okay?" A little boy was stuck on a high branch, and nothing short of terrified.

He shook his head, "Get me down!"

"Stay calm, buddy! We're getting help, just stay calm!" she looked over her shoulder as the others arrived. One man stood beside her and looked up at the boy.

"Markus Birkner, you come down from that tree this instant!"

"I can't! It's too high!"

"Damn it, son, you got yourself up, now you get yourself down!" he barked. Maleia had flashbacks to her earliest days with Nick Parker.

She looked at the man, obviously the father, "He _can't _get down, sir. He is too high. I did the same thing when I was his age. He's going to need help."

"You stay out of this, girl."

"Sir, my dog is the one who found your son. I'm not staying out of this." Maleia glared at the father and turned to the others. There was another boy about her age, probably a brother. She nodded and grabbed the first perch, pulling herself up to begin the climb.

"What are you _doing_? Come down from there! You're going to fall!" the mother cried fearfully. Maleia kept her focus on Markus, who was perched high above her.

"Markus, I'm coming up! Just stay there!"

"Help!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I promise." She climbed steadily higher until she was just below Markus. The branches creaked and groaned under her weight and she knew they were too high to be safe. She reached out for the boy, "I'm right below you, Markus. I'll catch you, let go."

"I can't!"

"Markus! Get down!" his father shouted. Maleia shook her head.

"I'm scared! I'm gonna fall!"

"No, you're not. Come to me, Markus. Come on." She heard an ominous creak and knew something was bound to break soon. Markus slowly lowered himself into her arms and she felt the branch shudder. She gasped and froze, "Markus, I need you to get onto my back and put your arms and legs around me tightly." She got down to the next branch and he scrambled into place. One he was wrapped securely around her, she began an unsteady, terrifying climb down. Suddenly, about two branches from the bottom, it cracked. She knew it would break off, and she looked down, "It's cracked! Get ready!" Markus screamed, but she unwrapped his arms, "Markus, your father's going to catch you. Let go!"

"I can't!"

"Let go! The branch can't hold us both!" she snapped. Terrified, the little boy let her go and dropped. She had no time for relief, the branch beneath her broke right off and she plummeted a good ten or fifteen feet. The impact knocked the breath right out of her and she felt something give way and she collapsed in excruciating pain. Having broken her wrist before, she knew it was a clean break and it would heal normally.

"Maleia! Are you alright?" Skaara fell to his knees beside her, terrified by the fall she'd taken.

"No, Skaara, I need to go to a hospital."

"Oh, Maleia! But O'Neill's not here!"

"Hey, you're Jack O'Neill's kids?"

"Not biologically, more by inheritence." Maleia grit her teeth as Markus's father removed her long-sleeved camo shirt and felt the break.

He shook his head, "He's been real quiet since he got back the first time. Never did figure out where he went."

"He works at Cheyenne now." Maleia had the feeling no one else was supposed to know exactly what Jack and the others really did.

Mr. Brinker shrugged non-commitally, "None of my business what he does, I'm just glad he's got company in that house. Come on, kid. Let's get you to the ER before Jack gets home."

"Thanks." She let him help her up and followed him to a mini-van. Mrs. Brinker offered to take Caspian back to Jack's house, which Maleia was thankful for. The drive to the hospital went quickly and she anticipated a long wait at the ER, but it turned out Mr. Brinker was on the staff and she was brought through almost immediately. X-rays were taken and showed a clean fracture. The ER doctor taking care of her told her it was a clean distal radius fracture, and the bone looked fine aside from the break-line, so he was going to apply a cast until the bone was healed.

Maleia frowned, "How long will I need a cast?"

"Six weeks at the most, but come back in three weeks and we'll take a look and see how things are healing. Young as you are, this shouldn't take very long to heal. How did you get this anyway?"

"She was coaxing my son out of a tree and fell when the branch she was sitting on broke." Dr. Brinker mused as the cast was applied. Maleia was grateful to note that it was less bulky than other casts, and wondered how she would ever explain this to Jack.

The doctor chuckled, "Have you ever considered trying to break Markus of his habit of climbing so high?"

"I've tried, but it never works."

"Well, this might just have broken that habit of his, Dr. Brinker. I broke my right wrist doing the same thing I did today when I was Markus' age." Maleia looked at her neighbor, for that's what Dr. Brinker was. She didn't know how close or faraway from Jack he lived, but apparently close enough to have noticed some changes in the household. After the cast was on and her arm put in a sling, Dr. Brinker took her home.

"Jack isn't going to like receiving a medical bill, Dr. Birkner."

"He won't be receiving one, Maleia. He serves the country, the least I can do is pick up his bills when his kids fall out of trees. Besides, you could have done much worse than fracture your wrist getting Markus down. I assume he was called back to work?"

"There were a few things he had to do, some problems to smooth out." Maleia wondered if Jack had any idea how nice his neighbors were. Dr. Birkner made sure she didn't need anything before informing her that he lived two houses up on the left side of the street, and if she ever needed a thing, just call or stop by.

"Thanks, Dr. Birkner!"

"You're welcome, Maleia! Get some rest, and keep your wrist elevated."

"Yes, sir." Maleia waved as he pulled away. Going into the house, she found Skaara waiting. He looked up as she came in and got to his feet.

"What happened? What did they do?"

"They put a cast on it and told me to come back in three weeks. O'Neill won't be getting any bills, Dr. Birkner said he'd take care of everything."

"I watched you fall and thought terrible things." Skaara took her left hand and studied the cast before he hugged her tightly, "I thought those branches would crush you."

"I was lucky, Skaara." She searched out some pain relievers and ice. There were gel-paks in the freezer, and she wrapped one of these in a towel before sliding it inside the sling. Two Tylenol taken with water would help, too.

Three weeks later, Maleia went to visit Dr. Birkner and see how her wrist was healing after falling out of the tree. Having followed every instruction she had gotten from him after the ER visit, things were healing nicely. He splinted her wrist and put a brace on it, but told her to keep the sling until everything was healed.


	4. Chapter 3

AN: This is the beginning of the crossovers! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Three

Jack O'Neill had returned from SGC in a fairly bad mood, only to discover that the kids had gotten into trouble. Maleia had fallen out of a tree rescuing Markus Birkner, and broken her wrist. Greg was taking care of everything from Maleia's follow up appointments to paying for the entire thing. It was Greg's hope that Maleia's fall would scare Markus out of climbing so high. Jack knew that was quite likely. The boy came over a few days after the incident, bringing Maleia flowers and a homemade cookie. Jack shook his head as he left, "I should think he learned something."

"He promised he hasn't climbed any big trees lately, and Dr. Birkner told me he's staying away from their tree house even."

"You really scared him, eh?" Jack sat down with Maleia.

"She scared all of us." Skaara pitched in and Jack could only imagine how Skaara must have felt, watching Maleia fall out of that tree and hurt herself.

"Daniel sounded kind of freaked when he called. What happened?" Maleia changed the subject, and Jack winced. A lot had happened, and not all of it good. They _had _gotten the refugees back to Chulak, but Teal'c had gone under intense questioning from outside sources to decide whether or not he was really as changed as he said he was. Then, to add to the headache, it turned out that Charlie had been infested with an infant Goa'uld and it had wasted no time overtaking his body. Teal'c had finally killed Charlie at the Stargate when Charlie tried to get through the Stargate to some unknown destination. So two members of SG-2 were dead. Charlie from infestation, and an airman from a blast-wound. But things were calming down and he had some time to collect his thoughts and relax.

* * *

Three weeks later, he took Maleia to Greg and they got the good news that Maleia had been a good patient and taken care of herself for the six weeks and all she needed was a light brace. She didn't even need a splint or the sling anymore. Greg gave her a series of exercises to keep her wrist flexible and told her to keep out of trouble. Jack chuckled, "Oh, don't worry. She's gonna be part of my team, Greg. I'll keep an eye on her."

"What?" Maleia and Skaara hadn't been expecting him to say that, if their expressions were any indicator. He smiled. It was something he'd asked Hammond about earlier. Malia and Skaara had nowhere else to go, so why not put their skills to good use and put the two of them on SG-1? Hammond was dragging his heels, awaiting approval for the proposed additions to SG-1, but Maleia and Skaara were practically assured places. Greg wished them luck and saw them out of the office.

"Don't worry about bills, Jack. I'll take care of everything."

"Thanks, Greg. You didn't have to do this."

"Hey, consider it a favor for all the work you do keeping our sorry asses safe." Greg smirked and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Greg, let me be the sarcastic humorist."

"I'll see you guys around, then." Greg waved and returned to the office. Jack got the kids into the car and headed for Cheyenne.

"Were you serious? About me being part of SG-1?" Maleia asked timidly. He nodded, "I sure was. And Skaara too. You guys have nowhere else to go except back to Abydos, but you're as good as family to SG-1."

"Besides that, Daniel said something?"

"Of course."

"Not surprised."

"Hammond told me to get you guys back as soon as was possible, so you could get the work-up."

"Wow." Maleia and Skaara exchanged a look that bespoke excitement and trepidation. When they returned to SGC, he presented them to Hammond, who welcomed them to the team. He had taken Jack's request one step further and formed a third team, which they headed. So far, they were the only two members of SG-3, and their only real job was to go with SG-1 on all subsequent missions unless ordered to remain behind. Hammond made them Airmen Basic, but Jack knew that the kids would work up the enlisted ranks fairly quickly, since they already knew some stuff and would learn more as they went on progressive missions.

* * *

About two months later, Hammond summoned SG-3 and SG-1 to the briefing room above the embarkation room. He was sending SG-3 through the Stargate to a newly discovered planet in the Callium Galaxy, about ten light-years from Abydos. It was designated P2T-858 and bore many similarities to Abydos. One unique feature of P2T-858 was it's double primary.

"SG-3, you have twenty-four hours to make contact with any native peoples, if they are friendly." He looked around the table at the gathered SG teams.

"With all due respect, General, I don't think sending SG-3 through the Stargate to an unknown planet is the best idea." Jack said, startling Maleia and Skaara.

"Jack, I know you're worried about them, but you can't always be the first one through the 'gate." Hammond shook his head, turning to Maleia and Skaara, "If you do not return or have not sent a transmission by that time, SG-1 will follow you and retrieve you. Not a minute before, am I understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then good luck." Hammond saluted and they were dismissed.

* * *

Maleia entered the embarkation room with Skaara, clad in sand-colored fatigues, helmet, and webbing-vest. She and Skaara carried the basic general-issue field-packs, and they had a small F.R.E.D with two crates strapped on, as well as the automatic rifles each team carried in the field. But before they could go through the gate, Teal'c stopped them.

"Here." He held out two staff-weapons from Chulak, "You might find these more useful than your rifles." Maleia took one and looked at the Jaffa.

"I don't suppose you would understand the sentiment behind thank you?"

"Not very well. But you are welcome." He nodded and stepped back. They sent the F.R.E.D. through first and followed right after it. The wormhole launched them out onto the sand of P2T-858 and Maleia cursed, rolling to her feet as she spit out a mouthful of sand.

"I _hate _it when they do that." Skaara grumbled, dusting himself off. Behind them, the stargate deactivated. They moved a mile to the west of the stargate and set up camp. Scanners detected a city or some kind of mass dwelling-place nearby. It was a five mile walk through the desert until they reached the city. Stopping beyond the outskirts, they dropped onto the sand and she studied the city through her binoculars, "Why does this place look familiar?"

"Have you been here?"

"No, Skaara. But…I feel like I've been here before."

"Maleia! There!" he pointed to her left and she turned to see a small group of beings making their way into the city. They were coming right towards Maleia and Skaara. She narrowed her eyes, studying the older man. He really looked familiar. It was obvious they hadn't been spotted, but she got to her feet anyway. Skaara got up and they waited until the others were close enough to hail. Maleia wished they were closer to the stargate, just so she could tell Jack where they'd really ended up. Not that he'd ever really believe her.

She shaded her eyes, "I don't believe it. Tatooine."

"What?"

"This place is called Tatooine. I'll explain later. Right now, we have a different kind of explaining to do." She took a deep breath and tried to come up with a believable story. Finally, she settled with the truth.

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn spotted the two strangers a split second before they were on top of each other. Their clothing and weapons were very outlandish, but they spoke good Basic. A probe through the Force produced no malice, or much of anything. They were no threat to him or to Padme.

"What are your names, and where did you come from?" he asked after proper greetings had been exchanged.

"My name is Maleia Lailokan, this is Skaara. We came from Earth."

"I've never heard of such a place. How did you come here?"

"I didn't think words would mean anything to you. This is where we came from." Maleia knelt on the sand and drew something. It was a symbol, a two-sided pyramid with a sun overhead. Qui-Gon heard Padme gasp, and knew his own expression must be alarmed.

He looked at Maleia, "How?"

"We came through the stargate. Our camp is four miles back that direction." Skaara pointed back the way Qui-Gon had come with the others. He scuffed out the symbol with his boot and pulled Maleia to her feet, "Don't ever tell anyone else where you came from. Gate travel has been forgotten for many many years. Not even my master remembers a time when people came and went freely through the stargates."

"There are more gates in this galaxy? We came through one on the planet of Abydos two months ago, and I've traveled through several others since, but this is only the second one in this galaxy I've been through." Maleia looked intrigued. He nodded, wondering how they would take to knowing that another gate stood buried deep within the bowels of the Jedi Temple. Their weapons were so strange, he knew they spoke the truth.

"Are there other gates, then? That can take you different places?" Padme asked innocently.

"Some are buried, others broken. Our launch-point is on Earth." Maleia looked at him, "We have twenty-four hours here to either send a message back through the gate or return to Earth before another team comes after us."

"That isn't much time."

"This is just a recon mission, sir." Skaara spoke up, "We aren't here to get involved with anything."

"Well, you're involved with something now. I hate to tell you." He grimaced. They exchanged a look that bespoke trouble for the two of them. He sighed, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. It's General Hammond for not giving us more time to actually do something useful." Maleia shook her head and they made their way into Mos Espa.

* * *

Later that afternoon, they sat in Anakin Skywalker's house, waiting out the mother of all sandstorms. Maleia looked dejectedly out the window, wondering how she could get back the stargate to get a message through.

"Are you okay?" Anakin's voice startled her and she turned sharply. He stood behind her, watching her as she stared out the window. It was so hard to believe that these people and places, so well-beloved in stories, were real. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Wishing I could get a message to my friends back home. But the stargate…" she stopped herself. Qui-Gon had told her to say nothing of how she'd come to Tatooine to anyone. Anakin's eyes grew wide and he gaped.

"The _stargate_? You've been through the stargate? Wizards, that's so cool!"

"It's how I got here. I only have twenty-four hours to get back through."

"That's not enough time for anything." Anakin wrinkled his nose.

"Well, I wasn't sent here with the idea that I'd get involved with something like this."

"Well, dinner's ready if your hungry. Where did you…you know, come from?"

"Here, Anakin." She drew the symbol for Earth. Anakin smiled and took her by the hand, leading her to the kitchen.

"That's so cool. I saw it once, out in the desert, but I didn't know what it was."

"Now you do." She removed her helmet as she entered the kitchen. Sitting down, she looked across the table at Skaara, who shrugged. The meal was quiet, with Shmi wanting to know where they had all come from. Tatooine was so far away from everything. Qui-Gon's explanation was so easy, but Maleia had no idea what to tell Shmi, since it was obvious she hadn't come with Qui-Gon's group.

"What about you, Maleia? Where did you and Skaara come from?" Shmi asked her, passing her a cup of blue milk, "I've never seen clothes or gear quite like yours before." Maleia looked at Qui-Gon. He nodded. She sighed and twisted the cup between her hands.

"Shmi, Skaara and I came from a planet that's on the other side of the known universe. We came through the stargate, the Chapa'ai." She braced herself for any reaction. Shmi frowned, shaking her head.

"Nothing good ever came through that stargate, nothing."

"I think I know what you mean. Aliens calling themselves gods?"

"Yes."

"You're lucky they decided to leave Tatooine alone, Shmi. Did they come and leave right after?"

"Yes. But they left that stargate. Nothing has come through since then, until you and Skaara came."

"Well, to keep anything _else _from coming through, I'd suggest burying the stargate after Skaara and I are gone." She broke off a chunk of bread, looking at Shmi, "Cover it with stones and bury it so that nothing else can come through, so the Goa'uld can't come back." The rest of the meal was quiet, no one spoke. When the storm was over, Anakin wanted to show them his pod-racer, and Maleia decided it was time to send a message back to SGC. She managed to borrow a speeder from one of Shmi's neighbors and returned to the stargate. She and Skaara packed up their supplies, and loaded it onto the speeder. She scratched out a message on a piece of notebook paper and activated the stargate, tossing the paper through as soon as the wormhole was stable.

"What did you write down?" Skaara asked as they headed back to Mos Espa. She smirked, "Something O'Neill should understand pretty well."

"Oh." Skaara didn't ask any more and they returned to Shmi's house.

Jack O'Neill was sitting on the briefing room, twirling a pen through his fingers, when he heard the stargate open. The table trembled and he shot to his feet, sprinting down to the control room. The wormhole opened and stabilized and he bolted, "Get Dr. Jackson and SG-1 down here! Now!"

"Yes, sir." The controller nodded and the rest of his team was called to the embarkation room. He entered the chamber and stood on the ramp as something popped out of the wormhole. It was a crumpled piece of notebook paper, he realized as he picked it up. That was a bizarre thing to come through the stargate, but he had a pretty good idea where it was from.

"Jack, what is it?" Daniel called from the bottom. Jack undid the paper and smoothed it, reading the hasty note scribbled in Maleia's hand.

He arched an eyebrow, "Well, I'll be damned."

"What?"

"Look at that, Daniel." He crumpled the paper and tossed it at his friend. Daniel caught it, read it, and passed it around with a grin. On the notebook paper Maleia had written one thing: Episode 1. Jack could only imagine what SG-3 was up to right now, and chuckled. Maleia was an obedient soldier and no amount of tears or begging could make her stay on Tatooine longer than twenty-four hours. They would find a way back to the stargate from wherever they'd ended up and come home.

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Tatooine, Maleia was having some trouble sleeping. She finally abandoned her sleeping-bag and pulled on her boots and jacket, heading outside. She bent down to tie her laces so she wouldn't trip and as she looked out, she saw a dark figure shadowed against the stars. He didn't seem all that aware of things, but that didn't mean he wasn't alert. She finished tying her boots and got up, leaving the doorway. He turned slightly as she came up on his left side, "Shouldn't you be in bed?" It wasn't a reproach, just an inquiry.

"I couldn't sleep. I never get much sleep on missions, especially the twenty-four hour breed." She pulled herself up onto the wall and leaned back, looking the stars, "It's strange."

"What is?"

"Somewhere out there, beyond the stars we can't see, is the Milky Way, and somewhere inside the Milky Way is the Solar System."

"And inside the Solar System is Earth."

"Home."

"And you'll go back when your time here is up?"

"I have to, unless I want Colonel O'Neill and SG-1 coming after us or General Hammond closing the gate on Earth." She looked at Qui-Gon, wondering what he thought of them.

He sat next to her, "Well, if you ever have time of your own, then I might suggest you visit here." It was a slip of paper he had borrowed from her gear. She couldn't see what was on it, but she had a pretty good idea. Maleia folded it and tucked it into her pocket. After a while, she went off to bed, bidding Qui-Gon goodnight. Without removing her boots, she pulled the blanket over her head and fell asleep.

The next morning, they all went down the Grand Arena for the Pod Race. Anakin, above all expectations, beat out the other contenders and won. In exchange, he was freed and the parts needed to repair Qui-Gon's ship acquired. Maleia and Skaara were at a loss as to what they should do, since they still had another twelve hours left before they had to be back on Earth. They left Mos Espa with Qui-Gon's group, prepared to continue to the gate and go home early, but an attack changed that and they only stopped at the stargate long enough for Maleia to send another message through.

* * *

Jack took the crumpled paper from Daniel, arching an eyebrow, "What's this?"

"Another message from Maleia. The second one like it."

"What's on it?"

"I didn't read it."

"Hmm. Looks like the kids ran into a bit of trouble. They need more time." Jack wasn't surprised by Maleia's latest message.

_ Had setback outside Mos Espa. SG-3 leaving Tatooine, headed for Coruscant. If another stargate is there, will come home ASAP. Need more time. Talk to Hammond._ Tucking the paper into his pocket, he headed for Hammond's office.

"Where are you going?"

"To get the kids more time."

"Jack…"

"They need more time for what they've gotten into. Just enough time to reach Coruscant and find a stargate to get home. At the most, another twenty-four hours." He left Daniel behind and went to Hammond. Without giving away the depth of SG-3's involvement, he secured an extra twenty-four hours for Maleia and Skaara.

* * *

On Coruscant, Maleia and Skaara faced the High Council, explained who they were and how they'd come into Qui-Gon's company, and requested only one thing. They needed a way to get home, a stargate. The Council agreed rather hastily and Maleia had the feeling the Council wanted to get rid of them as quickly as was politely possible. Qui-Gon showed them the Coruscant stargate, deep within the Temple, and wished them luck in future missions.

"Thank you, Qui-Gon, for everything." Maleia smiled sadly, holding out one hand to him. He shook his head and pulled her into his arms.

"May the Force be with you both, SG-3. Goodbye." He let her go and she stepped through the gate. Skaara was right behind her. When she stepped out on the other side, something clattered on the ramp behind Skaara. She turned as the gate closed and saw something sitting on the ramp. She bent down and picked up a pendant on a leather thong. Looking at the stargate, she smiled, closing her hand around the object. Tucking it into her pocket, she descended the ramp and saluted Jack and Hammond at the bottom. The debriefing was two hours after their return and she told Hammond everything, knowing he found it difficult to believe.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Two days later, a different kind of message came through the stargate. This one was from Naboo, and it was nothing short of a cry for help.

As it was decided that they would enter Theed, Obi-Wan Kenobi knew they needed more people. They needed backup. But no one was available and there was no way to bring troops onto Naboo in time to be of any help. Frustrated, he turned away from the discussion and found himself facing an unusual structure. It was a stargate, and like others in the galaxy had been unused for a long while. Suddenly, he had an idea. He turned, "Master?"

"Yes, Padawan?" Qui-Gon's voice was strained and Obi-Wan knew he was part of the reason his master was so edgy these days. He approached his master, unwilling for anyone else to overhear him.

"Master, do you remember the symbols for Maleia's home?"

"Of course I remember them. Why?"

"I was thinking, we need backup, and anyone else is too far away." He looked hopefully at his master. Qui-Gon narrowed his eyes, glanced at the others, and dug into his pocket for something. He handed Obi-Wan a slip of paper without a word, returning to the discussion. Obi-Wan smiled and unfolded the paper. Qui-Gon and the others moved away, and as soon as they were gone, he entered the coordinates for Earth. On the back of paper, he scratched out the coordinates for Naboo. Folding the paper, he tucked it into the hilt of his lightsaber. He tossed it into the wormhole and watched as the wormhole closed, leaving an empty space. He heard Qui-Gon calling him and hurried after the others, hoping the message got to the right people. Maleia would know what his lightsaber meant.

* * *

Maleia was halfway to the embarkation room the minute the glasses rattled. When the wormhole opened, she was through the blast doors. Halfway up the ramp, something was spit out of the wormhole and the wormhole closed up behind it. She knelt down and picked up the solid object, studying it curiously. It looked familiar, and it was only when she thumbed a switch and a blade of brilliant green flashed to life that she realized what it was. It was a lightsaber! Only one person she knew owned such a weapon! Extinguishing the blade, she opened the hilt, a panel of which was slightly askew. Tucked inside was a piece of paper. On it were coordinates. Closing the hilt, she ran back to the control room, "Get SG-1 and SG-3 into the briefing room!"

"What's going on?"

"Some friends are in trouble." She barked, heading up to the briefing room. The others gathered quickly and she passed around the lightsaber, "That's what came from the stargte just now, and judging by the coordinates written on the back of the paper I gave to Qui-Gon Jinn before leaving Coruscant, I'd have to say they've moved on to Naboo and need help."

"How can you be sure it's from the same people?"

"Because this is Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber. Sending his lightsaber through may not have been the smartest thing to do, but he did it to get our attention. I think I have a pretty damn good idea about what's coming for that group of people, general, and I won't sit here and do nothing." She waved the lightsaber, "Besides, Kenobi's going to need this." Despite Simons' protests, Hammond had them all gear up, minus field-packs, and head through the gate to the coordinates Obi-Wan had sent them. Maleia and Skaara headed through the gate nearly at a dead run, followed by SG-1. When they reached Naboo, they kept moving. The others were behind them and within less than an hour, they were trying to find a way into Theed. Maleia recalled how they'd done it in the movie and sought out the hidden entrance.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Airman." Jack called softly from behind her. She didn't even look over her shoulder.

"Trust me, Colonel. And let me do the talking if we find them."

"Suure. You're the one who knows them, anyway." He muttered. The hidden entrance wasn't hard to find, and she saw people gathered outside, including two familiar figures clad in brown robes. She crouched low in the underbrush and whistled shrilly. The guards were instantly alert, startled, as were the others. The Jedi weren't too surprised. Qui-Gon turned to their positions and she saw him smile. Obi-Wan whistled a reply and she emerged slowly, followed by the others.

"Chahare. It's just us." She removed Obi-Wan's lightsaber from her belt and held it out, "You'll need this, Obi-Wan."

"I wasn't sure if you'd get the message." He smiled as she closed his hand around the hilt. She shrugged.

"You brought more of your kind, Maleia? Who are they?" Padme looked curiously at Jack and the others. Maleia smiled, turning to SG-1.

"Your Highness, this is SG-1. Colonel Jack O'Neill is the commander, Doctor Daniel Jackson is their linguist, Captain Samantha Carter is their astrophysicist, and Teal'c and Sha'uri are freedom fighters from Abydos and Chulak." She looked at Captain Panaka, "But we're short on time, so the sooner we get this party rockin', the better." No one except SG-1 understood her terminology, but they got the point and they headed into the city by way of the secret entrance.

* * *

Once inside Theed, they split into teams. The Queen's group split into two groups, and Jack split SG-1 and SG-3 into two groups of four. They spread out in a perimeter around the central square near the hangars and the palace. SG-1 and SG-3 strung themselves out in pairs and alone, waiting until the Queen gave the signal to move. A firefight broke out as they scattered and ran for the hangars, where they encountered more battle-droids. The staff-weapons proved incredibly useful here, and soon the droids were all defeated. When they were headed off by Darth Maul, they split up again. Skaara hopped into a fighter and followed Anakin out to the space-battle, leaving Maleia to choose her course. Qui-Gon told her to go with the Queen, and she wasn't about to disobey him directly. Doubling back would be easy. With the others preoccupied, she slipped away and doubled back to the hangars, where she picked up the Jedis' trail. She followed them into the energy reactor center. When she had to jump, she balked. But the sound of clashing lightsabers helped her make up her mind. Taking a deep breath, she jumped. She landed in a half-crouch, bouncing to her feet as soon as she landed, and took off after Obi-Wan. As she ran, she realized that something had cushioned her landing. It was barely noticeable, but she'd felt something. Shaking it off, she caught up with Obi-Wan a hairs-bredth from hitting the activating gates. She looked ahead and her stomach knotted itself. Qui-Gon was too far ahead for them to make any difference! But no, under the panel to her left was an override. As the gates ahead began to cycle out, she ripped off the panel and slammed the override, cutting off the remaining gates early. Obi-Wan bolted, she was right behind him.

They tore into the central chamber and came between Maul and Qui-Gon just as Maul knocked Qui-Gon into the pit, kicking his lightsaber into the darkness. Raising her staff, Maleia fired once. The shot knocked Maul right off his feet and he fell back, tumbling into the pit that had nearly claimed Qui-Gon moments before. Dropping her weapon, she fell to her knees and helped Obi-Wan pull Qui-Gon to safety.

"Thank you, Maleia. I think you just saved my life." Qui-Gon looked at her gratefully.

"Me too." She gasped, sagging onto her back, "Jesus, what a trip."

"Are you alright, Maleia?"

"Just a little out of breath." She braced on her elbows, "One question."

"One?"

"When I jumped from the upper catwalk, something cushioned my landing."

"A precautionary measure only. I wasn't going to have you break something being heroic." Qui-Gon smiled shakily and Maleia arched an eyebrow. The moment of time it took to ease her jump could have cost Qui-Gon his life. After catching their breath, they went in search of the Queen and the rest of SG-1. They met each other halfway between, each coming to look for the other.

A few days later, a delegation from Coruscant arrived on Naboo. If the Council had hoped they'd seen the last of Maleia and Skaara their first visit to the Temple, they were all terribly disappointed to arrive on Naboo and find SG-3 there, with SG-1 for backup purposes. This was made more obvious to SG-3 when Councilor Windu confronted them.

"I thought we had an understanding when you departed through our stargate that you would not return through _any _consequential stargates in the Republic."

"Technically, Tatooine is not part of the Republic proper, being on the Outer Rim, which was our first 'gate into this galaxy. Second, this is what we _do_, Councilor."

"What do you do? Intrude on business that is not at all your own?"

"No, we help where help is needed." She wasn't going to tell them it was Obi-Wan who had sent for help. Those two were in enough trouble with the Council, she and Skaara didn't need to make more for them. The dark-skinned Councilor opened his mouth to say something else, but Maleia wasn't done. She folded her arms and looked over her shoulder at Qui-Gon, who hovered anxiously nearby.

"Look, if SG-1 and SG-3 hadn't been here, Queen Amidala would be a prisoner of the Trade Federation and Master Jinn would more than likely be dead. Because we were here, none of that took place." She frowned, "I should think you would be grateful, Councilor, not judgemental. Why don't you like us?"

"I never said I disliked you."

"You didn't have to say anything." Skaara leaned on his staff-weapon, "Your attitude was more than enough. You couldn't have gotten rid of us any faster on Coruscant, when we asked if there was a stargate. Good riddance, you said, get these outlanders gone and far away. Maybe they won't come back."

"We never…"

"Good afternoon, Councilor Windu." Maleia turned her back on him. She was halfway to Qui-Gon when she thought of something else, "Oh, Councilor? I wouldn't let Chancellor Palpatine within a staff-weapon's length of Anakin Skywalker if I were in your position."

"I was going to say that." Skaara whispered as they left the baffled councilor behind.

She looked at him and smiled, "Great minds think alike, eh?"

"And not just because _you _know what happens to everyone here."

"Eh, so much has changed, if George Lucas were dead, he'd be rolling in his grave right about now." She chuckled.

"I don't know what you two said, but I've never seen Mace look so confused before. Or so worried." Qui-Gon scolded lightly as they finally reached him, "What _did _you say to him?"

"Oh, I just explained in plain English that what he considers meddling in others' business is actually part of the job description on the teams. I _didn't _mention any names, so you and Obi-Wan should be safe from being accused of provoking further unwanted contact with SG-3 and SG-1."

"It's not unwanted contact, Maleia."

"For him, I think he'd rather do anything else but deal with SG-3. I'm not sure why, but I don't think the Council likes us very much."

"They don't understand you, and the stargates have been unused for so long, they might have forgotten we even had one. Several gates in the Republic have likely fallen into such disuse that they've collapsed or were buried as soon as the Goa'uld were gone."

"Well, we know the stargates on Tatooine, Naboo, and Coruscant still work. And…wait a minute." Maleia stopped and turned to face Qui-Gon, "You _know _what they are? The aliens who use the gate system?"

"I've fought them before, but it's been a long time. Strange creatures, not even human, really." He grimaced, "Eerie when their eyes glow."

"You've…seen them?"

"One or two times."

"Ugh. I got a look at T'ealc's infant once, scared the hell out of me." She shuddered.

"When we were escaping Chulak, I remember." Skaara grimaced, "I saw it too. It made me glad we hadn't been chosen as Hosts."

"Oh, no kidding."

"When were you two ever on Chulak?"

"About three months, two and a half months ago. Why? You ever been there?"

"Only once, against my will. It almost killed Obi-Wan that he couldn't figure out where I'd gone." Qui-Gon's eyes darkened two shades and Maleia exchanged a look with Skaara. Was there a slim possibility she'd met him before without knowing? She gulped and turned to Qui-Gon.

"I think we need to talk in private."

"I think we do. Come." He led them into the palace and they found a room with a door they could lock. Once inside, they locked the door and Maleia and Skaara set their weapons aside, sitting down when Qui-Gon bade them sit with a wave of his hand. She took a deep breath.

"Qui-Gon, how long ago were you captured and taken to Chulak?"

"Two and a half months ago. As soon as I returned, they sent us to Naboo."

"The Temple wasn't attacked, was it?"

"No, Obi-Wan and I were on mission when the stargate on the planet we were visiting was activated and four of us were captured." The gentle Jedi master frowned so deeply, Maleia knew he held a life-long grudge against the Goa'uld, "Obi-Wan escaped only a moment before he would have been brought through with me."

"Oh, Qui-Gon, that's terrible!"

"I don't suppose telling Mace and the rest of the Council that SG-1 and SG-3 were responsible ultimately for getting me safely home would change their minds?"

"It…_might_, but I don't think that would make Master Windu like us any more or less." Maleia shrugged. She almost wanted Qui-Gon to tell the Council what the two SG teams currently residing on Naboo had done, just to see their faces. Qui-Gon smirked.

"He'll never admit it to anyone, but if anything ever happened to me, he'd go out of his mind. It would take all eleven councilors just to keep him from doing something really stupid."

"Hmm. Shall we go and ensure our place in the Council's good graces?" Skaara was smiling. Maleia looked at Qui-Gon. He nodded and got to his feet, moving to the door.

"So that's twice I owe you my life. Now I remember seeing your teams before, and wondering at how well you interacted with each other. Was that woman, Sha'uri, was she Dr. Jackson's wife?"

"To say we were relieved she wasn't picked as Rak'hma's Host would be understating it." Skaara mused as they went in search of the Council.

"I thought as much when I watched him regain consciousness."

"That was pretty sweet, huh? I was just glad we were all in one piece." Maleia shrugged. Coming around the next corner, she was attacked by a blonde-headed blur that came no higher than her waist. It was Anakin Skywalker, and he was incredibly glad to see them.

"Maleia! Skaara! Qui-Gon, you're alright!"

"Hey, Ani. What's up?"

"Nothin'. But, well, Chancellor Palpatine keeps trying to talk to me. I don't like him at all, he makes me feel cold." Anakin wrinkled his nose, clutching a fold of Maleia's fatigue's in one hand.

Maleia put an arm around his shoulders, "Just stick close to me, kiddo. I don't like him either."

"Maleia, how can you say that? He's done no wrong."

"It's just a feeling, Qui-Gon. Sometimes the hair on the back of my neck stands on end, other times I get a chill between my shoulder-blades. I get both when I'm around the chancellor. My experience tells me that's not a good sign."

"Me, too, Maleia." Skaara looked at her and shook his head. Something wasn't right about the chancellor, but Maleia was the only one who knew exactly what it was.

* * *

After the Council got the news that SG-3 and SG-1 were chiefly responsible for Qui-Gon's safe return from Chulak by way of SGC's stargate, they were much kinder to Maleia and the rest of the team. As they were preparing to go through the Naboo stargate and return home, Mace Windu even went so far as to prevent Jack O'Neill, Maleia Lailokan, and Skaara from entering the wormhole for no other good reason than to thank them and apologize for his earlier attitude towards the teams.

Maleia smiled, "Well, Councilor, if all goes well and you don't have any more trouble requiring our help, this really should be the last time you see anyone from Stargate Command."

"I doubt that, Maleia. Knowing Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as well as I do, I highly doubt this is the last we have seen of any of you."

"Then make sure Obi-Wan doesn't go making trouble that requires our assistance." Jack quipped, looking at the younger Jedi. Obi-Wan must have known they were talking about him, he grinned.

"I'll try, but trouble seems to follow those two everywhere. This was not an exceptional mission. Good luck, Stargates, may the Force be with you."

"Thanks, councilor. We'll be seeing you around, then." Maleia flipped a neat salute and stepped through the stargate. Once she had solid ground under her feet, she watched the stargate close, "Well, that was an adventure. If another one like that crops up, I'm not going to be surprised."

"Keep your fingers crossed we get a few _normal_ missions after this." Jack muttered. She looked at her commander, "What, that wasn't enough fun for you?"

"Uh, Maleia, none of that was even supposed to exist. What were we even doing there?"

"I don't really know, but I'd make sure word of _this _mission doesn't get to the wrong ears. Poor Lucas really would have a cardiac arrest and die."

"Yeesh."

"Yeah, me too. So, who's up for going home and taking a hot shower?"

"Once we've been debrief, hell yes." Daniel shrugged to adjust his jacket. They went to the briefing room a half-hour after returning from Naboo, gave their reports to General Hammond, and were dismissed. Maleia headed home with Jack and Skaara, and raced Skaara through the front door, only to be bombarded by Caspian, who wanted a walk.

Groaning, she got the leash and hooked it to his collar, "Caspian, you brat. How long have you been holding it?"

"Well, I only made it back to take him out once, but knowing Greg, he sent the kids over to walk him while we were gone." Jack mused as she shucked her vest and contemplated ditching her jacket. Deciding to keep her jacket, she grabbed Skaara and headed out the front door. "I'll get dinner started, then." Jack waved them off and headed back inside. They had just passed the Birkners' place when Chelsea Birkner stuck her head out the front door and spotted them.

"Maleia, Skaara!"

"Hey, Chelsea!" Maleia waved, knowing what was coming.

"Did you two just get back from Cheyenne?"

"Yeah. It's been a pretty hectic week up there." Maleia twitched the leash in one hand as Caspian sat between them.

"Jack only came home once to let Caspian out, so I gave the kids our key and had them take him out every day."

"Thanks, Chelsea. I'm sure he loved it."

"Well, why don't you two come in and get off your feet for a few minutes."

"Jack's fixing dinner, but why not?" Maleia _really _wanted a shower, but that could wait. Skaara shrugged and they went into the house. She dropped the leash and stepped on it to untie her boots, but Chelsea shook her head.

"Oh, don't bother. The kids track more dirt through here than you two put together. Don't bother taking off your boots, you'll just have to put them back on when you leave."

"Are you sure, Chelsea? Your house looks pretty damn clean."

"Positive. Now, come in and sit down." She ushered them into the kitchen and sat them down, letting Caspian into the back yard to play with Milo, their Bermese Mountain Dog.

"So, where is everybody? It's awfully quiet?"

"Oh, Markus is at karate and Kyle's at basketball. Greg had to work late, so he won't be home for a while."

"Wow, no wonder the house is so clean!" Skaara whistled. Chelsea just smiled and passed them glasses of lemonade. It was homemade from the taste of it, an even balance of sweet and tart, just the way Maleia liked it. They moved to the couch, and Maleia groaned as the overstuffed cushions gave way and molded around her body.

They were watching the news when the door from the garage opened. Maleia twisted around to see Dr. Birkner walk in carrying his brief-case and a fatigue-green duffel-bag. There was a symbol emblazoned on the side in black paint-stencil and as he turned to close the door, Maleia saw the symbol.

"Whoa!" she breathed, turning around quickly, "Skaara, look at the duffle!"

"SGC? What was he doing there? How did we miss him?"

"I don't know!"

"Chelsea! I got it! After four years, I finally got it!" he called, coming into the main part of the house. Maleia and Skaara scrambled from the couch and promptly saluted a startled Greg Birkner.

"Afternoon, Doctor Birkner."

"Maleia, Skaara." He returned the salute with a degree of alarm, "When did you two get home?"

"Fifteen minutes ago, sir. We took Caspian out and your wife invited us in for a few minutes."

"I'm glad you're all home safe. I only caught the last five minutes of your debriefing and I can't say I envy you two for all you've been through." He dropped his bags and shrugged, "But now it looks like I'll get to share some of it."

"I saw your bag, sir. What did General Hammond say?"

"He's recruited Janet Fraiser from Fort Carson and decided to put two doctors on SGC. One military, one civilian."

"Oh, Greg, that's wonderful! Jack should be thrilled to hear that!"

"I don't know what kind of stuff you guys will be bringing us, but I've known Jack for a long time and I know you two pretty damn well." Greg Birkner smiled and Maleia knew things were going to be pretty different around SGC with him on board.

"Hammond has a soft spot for talented civilians, I think. He kept me on and Daniel Jackson's on SG-1." She looked at Skaara, who just smiled. After another round of drinks to toast Dr. Birkner's acceptance to SGC, Maleia and Skaara headed home. Dinner was on, so they ate, shared the most recent news, and Maleia took her shower. Jack didn't seem too surprised to hear about Birkner, and she realized he might have had something to do with Birkner's placement.

The next morning, they reported to SGC and discovered that not only had Birkner been accepted, but he was being placed on SG-3 with Maleia and Skaara. They were also able to meet Dr. Fraiser.

A few weeks were spent adjusting to the newest additions, and SG-3 made small, easy missions through the stargate with Dr. Birkner until he was used to the sensation of gate-lag.


	6. Chapter 5

Crossover with LOTR begins! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Five

A year after SG-3 gained it's third member, they received a fourth member and another mission. Allan Greeley was an Air Force commander, and Maleia wondered if he would take her place as leader of SG-3. She didn't think Hammond would replace her without saying something first, and so far had heard nothing about being put under the command of the newest member of SG-3. She and Skaara had made rank at Staff Sergent about two months ago, having worked their way up the ranks from Airman Basic to Senior Airman with remarkable speed and skill. So she had the credentials to lead SG-3. And Dr. Birkner was more than willing to follow her.

Data from the MALP indicated a stable environment on the planet designated P3M-E44, so Hammond sent them through the stargate. Maleia didn't even looked at Commander Greeley as she and Skaara mounted the ramp and passed the wormhole's event horizon. Hammond hadn't said anything about command switches, but she got the feeling Greeley thought he was in charge of SG-3 simply by chance of higher rank. But Maleia knew if he tried to impress his ranked superiority on her or the other two, it wasn't going to hold very long or go over too well. She stepped out on the other side of the 'gate and sighed with relief, "Well, that one didn't launch us out the other side, eh?"

"For once. I really hate it when they do." Skaara looked around as they moved down the steps leading to the stargate. Dr. Birkner and Commander Greeley were right behind them.

"Alright, people. General Hammond gave us twenty-four hours to scout this area and seek out signs of human habitation. Let's get a move on." Greeley barked orders as he strode past Maleia and Skaara, and therefore missed the look they exchanged and the murderous glare she gave him.

"Maleia? What's going on?" Dr. Birkner whispered as they set off after Greeley. She shook her head.

"I don't think he realizes that just being ranked higher than me doesn't automatically give him leadership rights to SG-3. Hammond obviously skipped that part."

"Or else he wasn't listening."

"Both quite likely." She looked at her two teammates, "But I swear, if he gets us lost or into trouble, I'm going straight to Hammond when we get back." They just nodded. None of them really liked Allan Greeley, but then again, he'd only been with them for a month while the three of them had been working together as a fully-operative team for a year. But in that month, he hadn't really gone to great lengths to endear himself to the other three members of SG-3, and nobody on SG-1 really liked him all that much either. As they sought a good place to set up camp, he went on and on about his past exploits and how he'd graduated from the AFA at the top of his class.

"I don't care if he's shaken the president's hand, I just want him to shut up!" Skaara hissed as they found a good place and started setting up. It was only after she had her tent up and the cover-tarp halfway up when she realized that Greeley was doing absolutely nothing to help. Instead he sat on the ground against a log and watched. She straightened from hammering in anchor-stakes, "Aren't you going to help?"

"You're doing pretty well without my help, girl." He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back further. Maleia had to restrain Skaara while closing her own jaw.

She looked at his tent-pack, which sat untouched, "Well, that tent's not going to put itself up."

"You've already put up three, what's one more?"

"Oh, excuse me? But Skaara and Dr. Birkner put up their own tents without help from me. I'm just setting the tarp in place. If you don't want to sleep on the ground tonight, I'd get cracking."

"You do that."

"Hell no! Commander Greeley, you will pull your own weight around here, we won't do it for you! Now get off your lazy ass and get your tent set up before the sun goes down!"

"Don't you use that tone of voice with me, Sergeant." He got up slowly, menacingly. She snorted, folding her arms across her chest.

"I may be beneath you in rank, sir, but I've been leading SG-3 for the past year. Just because you're a commander does _not _make you the leader of this team. Skaara and Dr. Birkner know how I think, they know how I lead. Hell, it was Colonel O'Neill's idea to put us on SGC in the first place."

"Hmm, his judgment is lapsing."

"And General Hammond put me in charge of SG-3. Now do your own damn work and shut up." Wheeling, she snatched up her Jaffa staff and headed into the forest.

"Maleia!" Birkner called.

"Not now, Doc!" she shouted, leaving the campsite behind. If she didn't kill Greeley in the next twenty-four hours, she'd be very proud of herself. After a while, she sank to the ground beneath a tree and folded her legs Indian style, laying the staff across her knees. This forest was very old, and the way the trees creaked was almost like voices. She let the forest calm her, and closed her eyes to rest.

* * *

She had dozed off when she heard voices. Male voices, and at first she thought the others had come after her. Awake and alert in an instant, she got quietly to her knees and peered around the tree. The two figures she saw were not her teammates. Wary of strangers, she activated her staff. When they were on her, she stepped out of hiding and swung around to face them, staff raised to open fire if they were hostiles. Of course, when she saw their faces, she almost dropped her staff in complete shock. But training didn't let her show any surprise, and her grip never loosened or dropped.

_Well, I'll be hogtied and damned. That makes two fictitious places and groups real. Wonder if Tolkien knew about this. He was a smart guy. _Now the real clincher was, what language would they speak? Plain English, Westron, or something in between? The Ranger spoke to the elf in fluent elvish, to which the archer responded in kind, and Maleia adopted a less-menacing stance just out of instinct. Before joining up with SGC, she'd immersed herself in fantasy and science fiction to gain escape from reality, and schooled herself in Tolkien's languages until she was fluent enough to offer greetings and ask basic questions and to answer them. She couldn't hold a real conversation by any means, but doubted that would matter too much here.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Maleia."

"I am Strider, this is Legolas. How did you come here? You look like no girl I've met before." The Ranger looked pointedly at her Jaffa staff and her fatigues. She looked at them and arched an eyebrow.

"I came here from Earth. I don't suppose that means anything to you?"

"No, it means nothing, I've never heard of such a place in my life."

"I'm not surprised." She got down on one knee, "Maybe you'll understand this better." As she had numerous times in the past year whenever they visited a planet where mention of Earth meant little or nothing, Maleia drew the pyramid-and-sun symbol of Earth.

She looked up at the two men, "That's where I came from, along with three others."

* * *

Aragorn had encountered any number of strange beings in his lifetime, but none quite so strange as the girl who emerged from behind a tree, wielding the strangest looking weapon. She was quite willing to not only give her name but where she'd come from, a place he'd never heard of. When she got to her knees and drew something in the dirt, he watched. A symbol he had seen long ago took form under her hand. A two-sided pyramid with a sun directly above it. He had seen it once on a strange device that Elrond said could take a man from Middle Earth to places unknown and alien. He had never seen the device itself, Elrond only had illustrations to show him, and stories of a time long before he was born. A strange race of creatures called Goa'uld had invaded Middle Earth by way of this device and many people had died and others were possessed by the Goa'uld. Those possessed were hunted down and slain, the Goa'uld departed soon after in fear of a greater uprising, leaving Middle Earth in peace.

"Maleia, you are not…of the Goa'uld?" he asked hesitantly. She didn't strike him as a Host, but in these dark times one could never be sure. Maleia's head shot up and she scrambled to her feet so quickly he knew it had been the wrong question to ask her. He put up both hands, "I shouldn't have asked."

"I came very close to becoming a Host, Strider, and have seen what befalls those unfortunate enough to be chosen." She said darkly, "I am not one myself, but I know someone who bears the infant larva, and he has saved my life on at least two different occasions." She picked up her staff-weapon and looked at them, "So, what are you two doing in Fangorn Forest?"

"We're looking for two of our number, and help for a third." Legolas spoke for the first time since they had introduced themselves to each other. Maleia's eyes widened, and Aragorn wondered if she might be able to help Boromir.

"Do you have a healer with you, Maleia, by any chance?"

"He's not exactly the traditional healer you're used to, but I'm pretty damn sure Dr. Birkner wouldn't mind helping. Where is your camp?"

"Back about two miles behind us."

"There aren't any real paths through this place, but Skaara and I are fairly decent trackers, it shouldn't be hard to find you. Return to your camp and I'll bring Dr. Birkner."

"Thank you, Maleia. I'm sorry I asked if you were Goa'uld."

"No hard feelings, Strider. Times are dark around here and you can't ever know if you're talking to an enemy in disguise as a friend." Maleia smiled and was gone at a trot, waving as she disappeared into the trees. As soon as she was gone, he looked at Legolas.

"So the Andelen truly exists! I thought it was just a story to make us behave! If we were bad, the Goa'uld would come for us and take us away." Legolas whispered heavily.

"I've seen pictures of it in Elrond's library. It must be near here, which means it was moved at some time."

"Where was it before?"

"At the top of Redhorn Pass. I think the Eagles carried it down from the mountain and then it was buried."

"Well, someone unburied it, or else Maleia wouldn't be here." Legolas mused as they returned to camp. Gimli was thrilled to see them, Boromir wasn't doing much better. He'd been growing worse for several days, leaving them all on edge wondering if he would simply die in his sleep one night.

"Did you find athelas?" Gimli asked nervously as a groan sounded from Boromir's bedroll.

"Help is coming, Gimli." He said, heating water for the athelas he had managed to find before coming upon Maleia. Gimli wanted to know more, including who was coming to help, but Aragorn said nothing.

* * *

Maleia burst into camp, breathless and feeling that time was running short in more than one way.

"Doc, get your pack! Quick!"

"Maleia? Good lord, where have you been?"

"I found someone, and they need our help! They've got a camp about three miles away from here!" she grabbed her own pack and was out of camp again, Birkner and Skaara right on her heels.

"You don't know what's out there, sergeant! How do you know these people aren't hostiles?" Greeley caught her by the arm and held her back. She wrenched out of his grasp and turned on him.

"Because I _know _these people, sir." She looked at him, eyes flashing, "Try and take over _my _job, Greeley, and I'll go straight to Hammond when we get home. I lead SG-3, not you." She turned sharply away, "Skaara, Doc, move out! Commander Greeley, you stay here and keep an eye on things. Should any hostiles show up, you'll know what they are. Radio me and I'll come back." With that, Maleia led the way from camp. Coming to the place where she had encountered Aragorn and Legolas, she knelt and traced their footprints.

"They went this way. Come on." She got up after figuring the exact direction and headed off at a trot.

"Maleia, you said you knew these people, but we've never been here before."

"You know how a year ago, Skaara and I visited Tatooine, Coruscant, and Naboo? Places that weren't supposed to exist?"

"Yes, I remember that pretty well. You two fucked the story-line so bad Lucas would have rolled in his grave if he'd been dead."

"Same concept, different place. I met Aragorn and Legolas, I'm not sure exactly what they were looking for, but I offered them help when they mentioned one of their party was injured."

"Aragorn? Legolas? The _Fellowship_?"

"At least four of them are in Fangorn right now, five counting Gandalf, who's wandering around here somewhere."

"Maleia! There's a fire ahead, I hear voices!" Skaara called from ahead. She smiled, "That's them. Good work, Skaara. Come on, Doc. I've got a pretty good idea who needs your help."

"My god, they're real!" he gasped as they reached the outer ring of firelight. Legolas stood guard about two feet away and looked up sharply as they emerged from the trees. Recognizing Maleia, he smiled and came to them.

"You came."

"I told you I would. I just had to round up the team and set Commander Greeley on watch until we got back."

"Come, he's not getting any better and Aragorn's worried he might die tonight."

"Well, he should have died back at Parth Galen." She mused, walking around the fire-ring past a startled Gimli to where Aragorn crouched beside the fourth member of their party. Aragorn looked up at her approach and nodded. She knelt beside him, "I brought the help I promised. How is he?"

"He's fading."

"Is he stable?" Birkner asked, kneeling on the other side of Boromir.

"Yes." Aragorn looked at him curiously. Birkner held out one hand to the Ranger, "Greg Birkner, hi."

"Doc, this is Strider."

"Can you help him?" Aragorn asked in a quiet voice that anticipated a negative answer. Birkner pulled away the blanket to get a better feel for Boromir's wounds and hissed. Maleia cried out, covering her mouth with one hand.

"Oh, Strider! How did he last this long?"

"By sheer will. He doesn't want to die, he's told me that many times." Aragorn took Boromir's hand in his as Birkner inspected the wounds. They were all very clean, there was no lingering infection, but the mere act of staying alive was taking it's toll on the broad-shouldered Gondorian. Birkner administered a morphine shot to lessen the pain and after cleaning the wounds again he stitched them closed. Maleia put one arm around Aragorn's shoulders as the Ranger let out a shaky sigh.

* * *

That night, they stayed with the Fellowship. She radioed Greeley, and moved the Fellowship back to SG-3's camp. The sky promised rain, and she didn't want Boromir's condition to get any worse. She gave her tent to Boromir without thinking twice about it. Legolas stood guard at the furthest edge of their firelight as he had before, and Maleia knew he would hear or see anything long before they would. When the others finally wandered off to bed, she sat up with Aragorn and Birkner. They discussed plans for Boromir and finally decided that it would be best to take him back through the Stargate to SGC, where they had the best medical staff and equipment at their disposal. Once he was fully recovered, they would send him back to Middle Earth.

"Well, Doc, here's your first real trauma patient." Maleia looked back at her tent and cracked a tired grin.

"I can only imagine the looks on their faces when we come home with Boromir in tow." He mused, chuckling.

"You'll go tomorrow?"

"Yeah. If you want, you can come with us to the Andelen."

"I'd like to see it for myself. It used to stand atop Redhorn Pass, but after the Goa'uld left, the Eagles moved it from the mountain and it was buried."

"Well, someone must have unburied it or we wouldn't be here." Maleia frowned thoughtfully, "I just hope somebody on our side unburied it, and not on Mordor's side."

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm tired." Birkner stretched, "So I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Doc."

"Don't stay up too late, Sarge. You need your sleep, too."

"I won't, sir." She smiled as Birkner headed off to his tent. She stretched out lengthwise against the log that had previously served as seating. It was late and she was tired, so it wasn't long before her eyes finally closed of their own accord and she slept. The next morning, they were up with the sunrise even though it was still dark below the trees, and SG-3 broke camp. They made a stretcher out of branches and Boromir's cloak, lashing the whole lot together with elven rope.

* * *

When Skaara had the wormhole open, it was time to go home. Maleia was surprised by the force of Aragorn's parting hug, and knew he was worried about Boromir. She looked at him, "Boromir's in very good hands, Strider, I promise. When he's well and able, we'll send him home."

"Thank you, Maleia. I hope your future missions go well and that you and Skaara continue to do well."

"Well, thanks. We'll be seeing you again, Strider, in a few months."

"Namaarie, my young friend. And good luck."

"You too." Waving, she followed Skaara and Birkner back through the stargate.

* * *

Jack O'Neill was waiting for SG-3 when they came back through, and he was glad to see them all in one piece. They had an extra, and by the looks of it they needed to get down to Infirmary right away. Dr. Birkner took command of the medics and led the way to Infirmary, "Easy does it, boys. Easy, he's been through a lot."

Once the medical team was gone, he turned to Maleia, Skaara, and Allan, "Short of that off-world casualty, I assume all went well?"

"Well enough for Commander Greeley's first trip through with SG-3. I need to speak to General Hammond outside of the briefing."

"Sure, he's up in his office." He looked at Maleia as she left the embarkation room, "Dare I ask _why_?"

"It's Greeley."

"I kinda guessed that. What did he do this time?"

"He tried to make himself leader of SG-3."

"Oh, that didn't go over very well."

"No, it didn't. I need to make sure my place as leader is secure, because if I lose it to Greeley, I'm walking out of here and never coming back."

"Don't worry, Hammond wouldn't replace you with Greeley without saying something first."

"I need to hear it from him." she looked at him as they stopped before the door of Hammond's office. She knocked and awaited the summons from within.

"Come!" he called. Jack pushed the door open and let Maleia go in first. Hammond looked up and arched an eyebrow, "Sergeant Lailokan, Colonel O'Neill. Your mission to P3M-E44 was successful?"

"We made contact with friendly natives, sir. One of them was wounded, Dr. Birnker's taken him to Infirmary."

"Good. I assume as soon as this native is healthy enough, we'll be sending him back through the gate?"

"Yes, sir. But it could be at least a month and a half, he was pretty badly wounded when we finally got to them."

"What is this man's name, Sergeant?"

"His name is Boromir, sir." Maleia kept a straight face, but Jack didn't. Hammond nodded and leaned back in the chair, "But that wasn't why you came in here, is it, Sergeant?"

"No, sir."

"Then what can I do for you?"

"It's Commander Greeley, sir."

"Leadership conflicts, Sergeant Lailokan?"

"Yes, sir. I was under the impression that since I was put at the head of SG-3 when it was created, I would remain in the position of leadership. Commander Greeley has attempted to take that over from me."

"It hasn't succeeded."

"No, sir."

"Skaara and Doctor Birkner are very loyal to you, Sergeant. But why shouldn't they be? After all, you've been leading them on missions through the stargate for a full year, while Commander Greeley has only been with the team for a month." Hammond had a funny look in his eye and Jack drew himself tall. Whatever decision was made would have an impact on not only Maleia, but all of SG-3. He was prepared to fight on her behalf. He didn't favor Allan Greeley too highly.

"Segeant Lailokan, Colonel O'Neill, I want your teams assembled in the briefing room at thirteen-hundred hours."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed." He nodded and they left the office.

"Why does he want SG-1 and SG-3 in the briefing room in thirty minutes?" Maleia asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'd be ready for the worst, kid."

"I am ready, sir." Maleia said stoically. He clapped her on the shoulder and went to round up SG-1. Maleia _said _she was ready, but he knew she wasn't ready for the very real possibility that she could lose her team to someone older and more experienced. She was just a kid, after all, but one _hell _of a leader.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, both SG teams had gathered in the briefing room per General Hammond's orders. Jack had to admit Maleia and Skaara looked very sharp in their dress blues. Daniel and Greg wore clean fatigues with their names over the breast pocket, and Greg wore a white band with a red cross on one arm to signify his status as team doctor. Hammond came in, closing the file he'd been reading.

He looked around the table as they saluted, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Take your seats. I won't keep you long." There were a few chuckles around the table. Jack got a look at the file title and felt his gut clench. It was the mission report file for SG-3, a thorough documentation of every mission SG-3 had ever gone on or participated in, both their own and in tandem with SG-1. Hammond looked around the table, his glance settling on SG-3, "It seems there is some confusion as to leadership rights on SG-3. We're all here to clarify that and put it behind us." Skaara and Maleia exchanged a startled look, and Allan just smirked. He was so certain he was going to get leadership? Jack wanted to reach across the table and wipe that smug look off the commander's face but sat on his hands instead.

"Sergeant Lailokan, how long have you been leading SG-3 in the field?"

"A little over a year, sir."

"How many successful missions have you completed?"

"SG-3 has gone on almost a hundred successful missions, sir."

"And who has led SG-3 on each successive mission?"

"Sergeant Lailokan has proven herself a leader when leadership was needed, sir. I would follow her anywhere." Daniel spoke up then, "Besides that, she's saved us a few times. That kind of thing can make a person grow on you, sir." Jack looked at Daniel and smiled.

"Sir, in my experience, Maleia has rarely ever shown open fear in the face of danger. She keeps a steady head when others might panic. For one so young as she is, that is a very admirable accomplishment." Teal'c added, "Like Doctor Jackson, I would follow her anywhere were I on SG-3 with her." Across the table, Maleia's face got steadily darker and darker. Those were two of the greatest compliments she could have received from anyone. Jack was proud of his own teammates for sticking up for Maleia. Hammond nodded.

"Does anyone else have something to add?"

"General Hammond, sir." Allan spoke up and everyone around the table bristled.

"Yes, Commander Greeley?"

"With all due respect, sir, you have to realize that Maleia Lailokan is only twenty-one years old. Doesn't it seem a bit, well, silly for a twenty-one year-old girl to be leading her superiors?"

"I don't see anything "silly" about Sergeant Lailokan leading SG-3, Commander. Would you care to elaborate a bit for us?" Hammond was just humoring him.

"Well, sir, it just doesn't make sense to have her leading SG-3 when there are others far more qualified." Greeley gave Maleia a nasty look. Jack watched Carter and Fraiser tense up.

Hammond got to his feet, "Commander Greeley, I put Sergeant Lailokan in command of SG-3 because she and her teammates are familiar with each other and they work well as a result. This is turning into a personal agenda that I will have no part of. You will work this out between you in whatever manner seems most suitable. But mark my words, Commander, if I lose Maleia Lailokan, you won't be around long enough to gloat." The door slammed behind him, leaving a heavy, echoing silence.

Maleia got to her feet abruptly, "Well, that's it then. Commander Greeley, I'll see you in the training room in fifteen minutes." Without another word, she was gone. The others ditched out behind her, and soon the room was empty. Jack was the last one to leave, and he took his time going to the training room. When he got there, everyone else had gathered in front of the double-paned viewing window.

"Greeley's going to beat her so bad she won't feel a thing for weeks." Daniel growled. Maleia entered the room from a side door and Jack knew his wasn't the only jaw to drop open. She wore loose-fitted sweat-pants, and a midriff-baring top, her hair was pulled back in a neat braid down her back and her feet were bare. She pulled on a pair of fingerless leather gloves and went through a warm-up routine. Watching her, Jack began to feel sorry for Greeley.

He turned to Sam, "What's Greeley's level of combat training?"

"Level three, sir."

"I don't think level three is going to beat down Maleia."

"Black belt?"

"She's gotta be. Only a black belt moves like that." Daniel whispered. When Greeley showed up, they moved into the room. Jack set down the rules. Once you were down for a count of five, your opponent won.

"One last rule. You can't actually kill each other." He stepped out of the ring and waited. Greeley was going for an old-fashioned boxing match, but Maleia had something for him. She had not only trained in karate and achieved black belt status, but she had trained in jiu-jitsu. It was all over in under three minutes, and ended with Greeley flat on his back, with Maleia kneeling on his chest. As she got to her feet, she looked down at her winded team-mate.

"Greeley, if you ever try to do my job again, or even look at me wrong, I'll beat your sorry ass so hard you won't know what hit you." With those words, she stepped over him and left the training room. Jack was waiting for her outside.

"Damn, kid. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"I took some martial arts and jiu-jitsu at the school, and self-defense classes at the community center downtown. Why?"

"Well, Greeley has level three combat training."

"Fuck his level three. If that didn't teach him a lesson, I'll have him transferred to another team and let them deal with him." She took the towel he offered her. He chuckled and let her go her own way, heading off to tell Hammond that the unrest in SG-3 had been settled.

* * *

After taking a shower, Maleia decided to visit Infirmary and see how their guest was holding up. She found Birkner talking to a medic and waited until he was done. He saw her and dismissed the medic.

"Maleia, what are you doing down here?"

"I came to see how Boromir was doing. Is he conscious yet?"

"He is, but he has no idea how he got here. Maybe you should talk to him, I don't think he likes us."

"That's alright. To lose consciousness in one place and wake up somewhere else entirely can be pretty disorienting." She clapped her friend on the shoulder, "And the issue with Greeley has been settled once and for all."

"Oh, good. Who won out?"

"I did. Kicked his sorry Air Force ass and made sure he knew I'd do it again if I had to." She grinned and headed for the isolated room they were keeping Boromir in. She peeked in through the window and saw him standing by the bed, focused on a point on the wall. She smiled and went in, "Hey, look who's on his feet now. How do you feel, my friend?"

"I'm confused. What is this place?" he looked at her, a frightened glaze in his eyes. She smiled and took his hand in hers.

"You're safe here, Boromir. This is Cheyenne Mountain Outpost on Earth, home to Stargate Command. None of that makes sense to you, I know, but I don't expect it to."

"Is Aragorn alright?"

"Well, he would have to be on his way to Edoras by now, if not already in the city. He's fine." She directed him back to the bed, "You, on the other hand, have a lot of healing to do." As he got settled, she sighed, "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I should go before Dr. Fraiser kicks me out of here."

"Wait, please stay." He caught her hand as she turned, "No one comes in here while I'm awake, and if I don't talk to someone, I'll loose my mind."

"I don't know what we could possibly talk about, being from two such different worlds as we are, but I'll stick around." She sat down on the chair by the bedside and took his hand in both of hers.

"You could tell me about your family."

"I think you've met some of them. SG-3 is practically my family, and so is SG-1."

"No, your real family. Your mother and father, your siblings."

"Oh, I didn't have one of those." She frowned, "I lost my parents when I was very young, I don't know if they were killed or they just couldn't keep me, but I never knew my birth-parents. I had a foster-father who treated me very poorly for a long time."

"They took you away from him, I hope? No guardian should ever beat their ward."

"Well, I wasn't taken away by people so much as I ran away. That's how I ended up here in SGC." She looked around, "This is home now, Boromir, and the members of SG-1 and my team are my family. I live with Skaara and Colonel O'Neill."

"They love you?"

"Well enough that two of them said they would gladly follow me through the stargate. Considering how young I am, that was really something."

"I know what you mean. The Fellowship is like that for me."

"Aragorn was worried about you. He didn't think you would survive long enough for us to get you to SGC for the help you needed."

"I didn't think I'd make it, either. But your healers have done amazing things for me. Your Doctor Birkner thinks I might be able to go home in a month." He smiled hopefully. She looked down at where her hand closed around his.

"Knowing Doc, he's probably right. He's been taking care of people like you for a long time."

"You sound sad, Maleia."

"I'm just tired, Boromir." She sighed heavily, "I had to settle a dispute with one of my team members before I came to see you."

"That is something I'm quite familiar with. What kind of dispute?"

"Leadership."

"Ah. You settled it reasonably, I hope?"

"If by reasonable you mean fighting it out, then yeah."

"Appearances can be deceiving, it seems." Boromir chuckled and tucked a finger under her chin with his free hand, tilting her head up, "You don't strike me as a particularly violent creature."

"Most people don't, and end up underestimating my strength to their demise." She smiled shyly, "I don't take any pleasure from it, though."

"Of course not. You'd rather rule by kindness than by force. And for you, that works very well to your advantage."

"Well, I did have two members of SG-1 say they'd happily follow me anywhere."

"Then you've done the right thing, Maleia."

"I'm kind of glad I stayed down here, Boromir. Thanks for listening."

"Well, I have little else to do with my time until Doctor Birkner tells me I can leave this room. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here to listen."

"Thanks, I'll remember that. Get some rest, you'll get out of here faster." She got up and left Boromir, feeling much better. Her world was for the moment in order and at peace. There was no telling how long it would last, though.


End file.
